When you think of outstanding fisheries in the Midwest, the area around Fairmont Minnesota probably isn’t the first area that pops into mind. However, if you were to visit Fairmont and go fishing, you would soon find that there are some pretty darn good fishing opportunities in and around Fairmont.

Fairmont is in the south central region of Minnesota and just off of Interstate 90. It’s easy to get to, and, when the fishing is good, hard to leave. There are several connected lakes right in town, and several others not far outside of town. The lakes have a great variety of fish species. Panfish and largemouth bass are probably most prominent, but walleyes, northern pike, channel catfish and musky are also present in good numbers.

The lakes in town are all several hundred acres in size and connected by canals that are easily navigable. If largemouth bass are the quarry, numerous presentations will be productive depending on current conditions. Docks and shoreline cover are abundant along the shores of the lakes and provide outstanding hiding places for hungry largemouth. Flipping a Jungle Jig or Jungle Bug tipped with a Chigger Craw PowerBait is a proven method for extracting big bass from this cover.

Regarding big bass: Ben Brown is a young angler who lives in the Fairmont area and is very familiar with the waters and how to catch the bass that live in those waters. When he isn’t working at the bait shop or at high-school football practices or games, he’s probably fishing. Ben catches several bass every year that exceed the six pound mark in this region, and lots in the three to five pound range. Some truly big bass call these waters home.

If you just want to get bit, you can’t beat throwing a crankbait on the weedline. A #7 Flicker Shad, because of its shape and action, will appeal to any sort of fish that swims in the Fairmont lakes. Locate a weedline: They’re fairly abundant on these lakes, and start throwing. When you find a concentration of fish, slow down and work them over. If the fish don’t go for the crankbait, try a Lip-Stick Jig-Worm-Gulp! Super Worm combo. When all else fails, this set-up will catch fish on a weedline.

If walleyes are your desire, you’ll catch them on the weedline from early June on, but there are also off-shore structures that will hold fish. A Fire-Ball jig and a minnow will be a good early season choice, a Roach Rig and leech will be good later on. You’ll also get perch and crappies regularly when employing this presentation, along with an occasional northern pike.

In addition to the great fishing opportunities, when it comes time to take a break, there are a couple of lakeside eateries. After a morning of fishing, it’s fun to visit one of these places for a break and a great sandwich.