Tim Lesmeister.

It’s nearly impossible to keep a fishing hotspot secret these days.

There are just too many avenues for anglers to get the word out, and with the introduction of Internet chat rooms, information passes at the speed of lightning.

Catch a mess of nice fish, tell a buddy or two about your success and the next day there are 10 boats on your spot. It’s impossible not to brag about your good fortune, so the only option is staying one step ahead of the crowd. Here are some lakes, rivers and reservoirs to get you started on your quest.

JANUARY
Red Lake
Beltrami County
Red Lake easily falls into one of the top three lakes in the state for winter walleyes. After commercial fishing devastated the walleye population a few years back, stocking by the Department of Natural Resources created a phenomenal fishery. However, stationary and portable shelters litter the landscape on the section of the lake that is open to anglers, so it may be best to take a snowmobile or ATV to get away from the crowds. Always be careful of thin ice, though. A fish is not worth dying over.

Maple Lake
Polk County
There is no structure to speak of on Maple Lake, so walleyes wander over the bottom picking off any forage they happen upon. If your minnow-head tipped jigging spoon happens to attract one’s attention, that bait will likely be eaten. Maple Lake’s clear water makes it a good place to use an underwater camera to see fish outside the angle of your sonar.

Swan Lake
Otter Tail County
Leaving the east shore access, head straight to the west-center part of the main basin. In the middle of the basin, an underwater point extends from a sunken island and that’s where crappies like to suspend. Drill plenty of holes and let your sonar guide you to the fish.

FEBRUARY
Eagle Lake
Kandiyohi County
It’s hard to pinpoint crappies on a lake with a featureless bottom. Such is the case with Eagle Lake. Schools of meandering panfish may appear in one place one day, then somewhere else the next. However, there are plenty of big crappies in the lake, so anglers who drill holes and search with sonar will find fish. There are some nice walleyes in Eagle, too.

Lake Edward
Crow Wing County
You can fish the big flat on the north end of the lake or work the tops and edges of the mid-lake reefs. You’ll find pike in all these spots because there are numerous pike in this lake. While an occasional lunker is caught, prepare to catch plenty of 2- to 4-pounders. It’s a great lake to try a heavier jigging rod and some flashy jigging spoons.

Eagles Nest Lake No.2
St. Louis County
Four Eagles Nest lakes are clustered east of Tower, but Eagles Nest No. 2 is easy to access and full of walleyes. The lake is far enough north that it only gets a limited amount of fishing pressure, so anglers towing portables with snowmobiles can have spots all to themselves.

MARCH
Basswood Lake
Lake County
Every March, a few hearty souls mush their dog sleds onto frozen Basswood Lake and hand drill holes and use dead smelt to tempt 15- to 20-pound pike. Sadly, this may be the final time if the DNR incorporates Basswood in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s an experience that will be sorely missed, but you still have one more shot. Call Bill Slaughter at (218) 365-2650 to book a trip.

Mississippi River
Red Wing
Smart anglers have discovered that spawning walleyes don’t all arrive at the dam at one time. That’s why you see boats spread up and down the river in March instead of piling up at Lock and Dam No. 4. Watch for current breaks along shorelines and eddies and inside the mouths of feeder creeks and backwater channels. Yes, the trusty jig-and-minnow is still the lure and bait of choice for early-season walleye fishing.

Birch Lake
Cass County
Catch late ice in early March and you will find crappies stacked up in front of the narrows leading from one basin to another or into a bay. Birch Lake has plenty of these spots and some big crappies hanging around late in the ice-fishing season.