His favorite tactics are casting Rapalas or Reef Runners, but he also uses spinner rigs with crawlers. Slip-bobbers work well at night, although because the water is stained, most people don't have much luck at night.

For more area information, go to the city of Fairmont's Web site at www.fairmont.org.

OKABENA LAKE
Okabena is a 750-acre lake located in the city of Worthington. It has four public accesses, and a good reputation for walleye fishing.

This lake is your typical southern Minnesota cereal bowl, but there are some interesting contours on both the eastern and western corners where dredging has been done. Miller said both of these troughs are good fishing locations, especially in the heat of summer.

"There's no real secret," he said. "You just go back and forth down that trough, which is a refuge of cooler water for the walleyes."

There are plenty of walleyes throughout the rest of the lake -- even when it's hot outside -- and the best way to find them is just to cover water. Planer boards are not a necessity, but they can help locate roaming fish.

"Troll stick baits that will run about 5 feet down and you'll do just fine," Miller added.

On the north side of the lake is a point with gravel and rocks that comes out and heads to the east, and it can be a very good spot. On the southeast corner, there is a 1-foot break that just goes from 7 to 8 feet but tends to act like a fish magnet.

"Every time you cross (the break), put down a waypoint on the GPS and then you can go back over it, zigzagging with crankbaits or a crawler, and it's amazing," Miller said.

For more information, go to www.worthingtonmnchamber.com.

LAKE WASHINGTON
Most lakes in southern Minnesota are very shallow, but Lake Washington in southwestern Le Sueur County is the exception to that rule. This 1,487-acre lake has several deep holes bottoming out over 35 feet, and one that goes down 51 feet. Compared with other lakes in the area, Washington is loaded with structure in the form of points, humps and saddles.

The DNR reports a healthy walleye population with a good mixture of sizes and year-classes, which means the action should be good for years go come.

"A good place to fish in June is around Grassy Island and the Third Point area," said Dave Quandt of The Bobber Shop in Mankato.

Simple presentations tend to work the best in June, with a Lindy Rig and leech being tops for most anglers.

"During the low-light hours, don't be afraid to throw crankbaits into the shallows," Quandt said, while noting that perch and golden shiners make up the bulk of the forage base, thus you should try to match their patterns.

John House fishes Washington, and he focuses on the weedlines with plastics, such as a Vibra King Tube or Yum's Wally Grub.

"I've had a lot of great luck with cotton candy-colored plastics while tossing them up to the shore, working them to the inside break, then coming across the top, dropping it into the pockets and then let it settle down at the outside edge," House said.