Ice-fishing season is in full swing and there are plenty of weekends of walleye fishing yet to be had. Whether you want to venture far from home or stick nearby, there are plenty of high-quality walleye waters located throughout the state.

Many of the top walleye lakes throughout the state are unknown to all but a handful of anglers. Those who fish these lakes are tight-lipped and largely unwilling to share their favorite locations. Walleye anglers who know better, don't worry about those isolationists and head out to their favorite walleye lake.

Rather than finding some out-of-the-way walleye ice-fishing locations, confident walleye anglers head out to the top water bodies in the state and fish differently than everybody else.

"It's not that you are going to some secret lake where huge walleyes swim -- those kinds of lakes are tough to find and generally aren't even realistic -- you go to a lake with plenty of walleyes in it, fish a little differently than the others, fish less pressured areas and have tons of luck," House added.

LAKE OWASSO
The secret is out about Lake Owasso, with its healthy and cooperative walleye population for ice-anglers.

It's a great lake for catching plenty of eating-sized walleyes, but it also has trophy potential.

Found along the border of Roseville and Shoreview east of St. Paul, the best public access is located at the northeast corner of the lake on North Owasso Boulevard. When the ice gets thick enough, some anglers take their vehicles onto the water but always exercise caution. At 375 acres, the lake is big enough that you can walk to the best fishing spots without too much of a hike. This feature makes it a great early- and late-ice destination.

Josh Stevenson owns Blue Ribbon Bait and has fished Owasso for many years with plenty of luck for walleyes. He said the most consistent place to find walleyes is on the saddle in the middle of the lake.

"There are a lot of weeds on that big flat and it's a great spot to find them all over the place. You can also fish along the inside turn with a rockpile on it near where the ski jump is in the summer in 12 to 15 feet of water," he added. (Continued)

Crowds can vary on the lake and if you get out there and find tons of portables or permanent houses, simply vary your approach and fish along the edges. You don't need to move too far away on Owasso, because the walleyes don't seem to be as affected by fishing pressure as on many other lakes.

For more information, contact Blue Ribbon Bait and Tackle at (651) 777-2421 or www.blueribbonbait.com.

BALD EAGLE LAKE
Another east metro lake that holds a healthy walleye population is Bald Eagle Lake located in White Bear Lake.

Stevenson said he sends many walleye anglers up to Bald Eagle and most of them report a quality walleye fishing experience. He fishes the lake, too, but is generally after toothier critters when he's out there.