Fishing

At Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge

Established to conserve remaining tallgrass prairie parcels, Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge consists of scattered tracts in western Minnesota and northwestern Iowa across 85 counties. Sport fishing is open only on fee title acres. Opportunities for fishing are rare because most of the areas are tallgrass prairie, not wetlands or ponds. Important sport fish species known to inhabit waters in western Minnesota and northwest Iowa include walleye, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sunfish, crappie, channel catfish, flathead catfish, bullheads and yellow perch. 

Visit the Rules and Policies page to download a copy of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR hunting and fishing brochure.

Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge Activities