NORTH LONG LAKE
Crow Wing County
When Roach was a Nisswa guide, his No. 1 go-to lake in that Brainerd area was North Long Lake. He said that Gull and Pelican lakes seemed to get all the press for fishing; the Whitefish Chain was touted as a weekender's playground and North Long was just ignored. These days, North Long gets a little more word-of-mouth attention for the outstanding walleye fishing that can be found there, and Roach still considers it his No. 1 go-to lake in the area.

"During the peak, I stick to that middle basin and work around the sunken islands in 18 to 24 feet of water with a Roach Rig and a leech," he said. "It's not that this lake doesn't get any fishing pressure. It does. It's just that there are a lot of walleyes in this lake, so you can always find some that are going to be hungry."

For more information, contact Lake and River Bait at (218) 829-0987.

Roach said you can always tell when walleyes are in their summer schools and the bite is at its peak. All the walleye anglers are walking around with a smile on their faces and at least two good stories -- one about the big one they caught and the other about the world record that got away.

"There are a lot of great walleye lakes in Minnesota," Roach said, "and right now they're all providing some great fishing. School might be out for the kids, but for the walleyes the bell is still ringing."

Find more about Minnesota fishing and hunting at: MinnesotaSportsmanMag.com