A majority of our downstate walleye anglers may not like to admit it, but the truth is that the lower tier of counties in Minnesota resembles Iowa more than it does most of our state.

Although local residents will proudly point out that this is certainly a part of "The Land of 10,000 Lakes," the terrain in the south differs greatly from that of the north. When the winter wind blows downstate, the flat landscape becomes a playground for swirling snow, with only an occasional river valley or grove of trees to keep the land from becoming a virtual sea of white.

Of course, as you progress farther northward in Minnesota, it becomes obvious why our state received its nickname. To the north of Minneapolis, it seems as though towns, trees and highways are all that separate one lake from another. A majority of the northern lakes are deep and clear, loaded with structure, and many have the ability to self-support their walleye populations through natural reproduction. Not coincidently, it is also these same lakes that receive the most fishing pressure in the state. Walleye anglers from points far and wide travel to this region in search of their prey. However, this does not mean that walleyes are absent beneath the ice on the southern prairie. An angler just needs to know where to look for them.

To the south of State Highway 60 from Mankato to Faribault, the distance between lakes increases. This is farm country, and fishable water is widely scattered. The landscape here is generally flat. In the winter months, snow blows freely across what was once an expansive open prairie, and during the summer, corn and soybean fields blanket much of the land.

Lakes containing deep and clear water are confined to a few scattered valleys where small spring-fed ponds give anglers a miniature glimpse of what can be found farther to the north. While these small lakes are popular with panfish, northern pike and bass anglers, only a few are considered to be walleye water. Although relatively deep, the size and structure of these lakes will not usually support natural reproduction of walleyes. In addition, the abundance of predators found in most of these lakes lowers the survival rate of stocked fish. Thankfully, there is another option.

The prairie may have been devoid of the sparkling clear glacial lakes of northern Minnesota, but it was not created dry. Vast wetlands covered thousands of acres in several locations. Through the course of time, many of these shallow lakes, swamps and sloughs have been tiled and partially or completely drained for agricultural use. Others have been protected to preserve waterfowl populations in the area, with their water levels too low to prevent winterkill and support game fish. Several have gone virtually untouched and are well known for their rough-fish producing capabilities, but little else. What about the rest of them? Well, that's where the walleyes are.