May 2, 2025 - Things to Do

Minnesota fishing license sales up 10% ahead of May opener

Torey Van Oot

two fishing poles — This year's fishing opener will be held in Crosslake on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes. Photo: Jerry Holt/Star Tribune via Getty Images

Minnesota has sold more than 220,000 fishing licenses this spring, up 10% from this time last year.

State of the lines: State officials said Thursday they believe a strong ice fishing season and the early ice out on local lakes has outdoorsy Minnesotans excited to get out on the water.

Sales, which began March 1, will continue to rise ahead of the May 10 fishing opener.

The big picture: Minnesota ranks fourth in the nation for annual fishing license sales, trailing only more populous (and coastal) states of California, Florida and Texas, Department of Natural Resources commissioner Sarah Strommen told reporters.

Between the lines: Proceeds from the $25 licenses go back into supporting the state's wildlife and public lands.

What we're watching: The state originally planned to debut a new electronic licensing system and app for hunters and anglers in time for this year's May 10 fishing opener.

But DNR announced earlier this year that it was delaying the March 2025 rollout, saying the outside vendor needed more time for testing and training.

Strommen said she saw a demo of the app last week and hopes to see it in use "before the hunting season starts this fall."

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Minnesota fishing license sales up 10% ahead of May opener

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