Survival Guide: 2012 Minnesota Fishing Opener

Minnesota has seen more than its fair share of cold, wet and windy fishing openers, but it doesn't look like 2012 will be one of them. Forecasts call for clear skies with morning lows in the upper 40s and afternoon highs in the high 70s.

The fishing season officially began at the stroke of midnight, and Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are expecting anglers to find a good bite throughout the state. Read the metro area fishing outlook here.

Minnesota is the nation’s leader in fishing participation (28 percent of residents age 16 or older buy a license). About 500,000 anglers typically hit the water on opening day, and about 1.4 million people buy Minnesota fishing licenses each year.

Minnesota's general fishing opener is the Saturday two weeks before Memorial Day weekend.

Why? Three main reasons:

1. It allows most walleyes to spawn before being caught by anglers
2. It ensures that the opener is on a weekend, when most anglers can fish
3. This date ensures two full weekends for anglers and businesses before the Memorial Day weekend.

But be careful out there, water temperatures of most Minnesota lakes still pose a threat to angler safety this time of year. 

A 2007 report by the U.S. Coast Guard stated that a boating accident is five times more likely to be fatal if the water is colder than 60 degrees.

So what do you need to know before wetting your first line of the season?

First,  (courtesy of Lake Minnetonka Patch). From zebra mussels and carp to milfoil and curly leaf, the state is cracking down on boaters who don't follow proper invasive species protocols. In fact, fishermen can .

There are also some changes to  

If you're looking to wet a line close to home, you won't have to look far. From Pickerel Lake to the rivershore of Fort Snelling State Park or , the metro area offers great fishing close to home.