Ready to fish in Northern Minnesota and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA)? Get your Minnesota fishing license online at the MN DNR website, by phone at 1-888-665-4236, or at Ely-area bait shops—required for anyone 16+. For Boundary Waters fishing gear, pack lightweight rods, reels, and lures like spinners or jigs. Northern MN fly fishing calls for a 5-6 weight rod, floating line, and flies like woolly buggers or streamers to target bass, pike, and trout. Enjoy your BWCA fishing adventure with Moose Track Adventures!

MN Fishing Licenses & Regulations

When you purchase a fishing license, you’re helping to protect, preserve and enhance the sport of fishing for today and for generations to come.

License fees help pay for fishery and hatchery management, habitat development and protection, endangered species programs, fishing and conservation education, lake maps and other publications, and many other valuable programs.

Fishing licenses for Minnesota can be obtained from the link below:
Buy Your MN Fishing License Online

Do you know what fishing laws apply in Minnesota? Find out more by using the information links below.
MN State Fishing Regulations
Special Permits & Licenses

Boundary Waters Fishing Equipment List

Fishing Rod and Reel
Medium Light or Medium 2 piece spinning rod
6-8 LB test line
10 LB test line on extra spool

Surface Lures
Rapala minnow: 3 inch black and silver
Bass Oreno
Pop-R
Henndon Zara Spook
Henndon Zara Pup
Tiny torpedo

Crank Baits
Repala Deep Runner: 3 and four inch in various colors. I like Perch Colored
Repala shallow runners: Same as Above
Wally Diver
Crayfish imitations
Rattletraps

Jigs
Lead headed jigs are by far the “best-all-around” fishing lures. And you should be equipped with lots of them. Our favorites are 1/8-1/4 oz in various colors, such as black, chartreuse, orange, pink and green.
Bring some ¾-1 oz for jigging Lake Trout

Spoons
Doctor Spoons ½-3/4 oz, one oz is good if you have a rod with good backbone
Kastmaster ½-3/4 oz silver and gold
Daredevil: good old stand by. Red and white

Plastics
Twister tails in various colors such as black, yellow, chartreuse
Sassy Shads: Silver and Perch
Power Grubs: 3 inch in various colors such as crayfish and black

Various Stuff
Slip Bobbers
Hooks: size 6 and 4
Split shots
Swivels
Hook remover (for catch and release)
Filet Knife
Stringer

Spinners
Roaster Tails
Mepps

Boundary Waters Fly-Fishing Equipment List

Fly rod:
An 8′-6″ to 9′ foot fly rod in a 7, 8, or 9 wt. is recommended. A rod that is any shorter makes it difficult to pick the line up off the water while seated in a canoe. A 7-wt. rod is as light as one should go when throwing large deer hair bass bugs, and weighted streamers.

Fly line:
A floating line with a weight forward or bass bug taper will be needed for fishing the surface, and a sinking tip line on an extra spool will allow flyrod anglers to reach those deeper areas where the big fish lurk.

Patterns:
Just as in fly fishing for trout, the smallmouth fly fishing angler also attempts to “match the hatch” by imitating the smallmouth’s preferred prey. Mature smallmouth feed mostly on minnows, young of the year game fish species, crayfish, and various invertebrates including leeches, and insect larvae. Minnow imitating patterns such as Sculpin, Black nosed Dace, Muddler Minnows, and Olive Matuka’s all work well. Crayfish imitations, Wolly Worms, and various deer hair bugs and poppers are also consistent producers.

Misc. Equipment:
Various items that are already included in the canoeist list of equipment are required for a day on the water fly fishing. Sunscreen, Polarized glasses, Rain gear, a hat with a brim, and insect repellent all help the fly rod angler cope with the elements while stalking smallmouths in the wilderness from the front of a canoe.

Bass Bugs
Hooks- Streamer
Size – 2-6
Color – natural, black & white, green & black, red & white, other favorite colors

Leech
Hooks – streamer
Size – 1-6
Color – black, olive, black & olive

Muddler Minnows
Hooks – streamer
Size – 2-6
Color – natural, black & white, chartreuse, other favorites

Poppers
Hooks – popper
Size – any size to 1/0
Color – same as bass bugs

Clouser Minnows
Hooks – Streamer
Size – 2-8
Color – all varieties

Streamers
Hooks – streamer
Size – 1-6
Color – red & black, chartreuse, any flashy colors