Let’s say you live somewhere in the Midwest and you want to go fishing. You don’t want to have to travel more than, say, four hours.

You want to go somewhere where the chance for getting bit is good.

You would like the chance to catch a variety of fish, some for eating, some for catch and release.

You would also enjoy fishing in a scenic landscape, and want to have options as far as eating. Maybe a steak one night, burgers the next.

Where would such a place be?

For many anglers in the Midwest, Lake Pepin near Lake City Minnesota fills the bill perfectly. It’s within easy driving distance of many Midwest cities, at any time of the year there is almost always some specie of fish that’s willing to get caught, and Lake City has an interesting downtown area with nice shops and restaurants. Lake Pepin is a winner: We’ve visited Lake Pepin many times during all the seasons and have had great results. You will too!

Lake Pepin forms the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin and is actually a wide spot in the Mississippi River. It’s a short hour downstream from Minnesota’s Twin Cities.

There is a beautiful boat ramp right in Lake City and another just north of town. If you launch in town, you’ll be in a lake environment. Go upstream or downstream a few miles and you’ll be fishing more of a river environment. There are also backwater areas above and below Lake City. This is truly a diverse fishery.

Just as there are a lot of different species of fish in the Mississippi River around Lake City, there are also a lot of different ways to catch those fish. If you’re fishing around Lake City, you could find yourself working rip-rap banks or off-shore structure like you would find in a natural lake.

When fishing above or below Lake City, wing-dams and backwater areas often become more productive.

A good number of anglers who ply these outstanding waters are after walleyes and sauger, but the action for largemouth and smallmouth bass can be world-class, as can the panfish and white bass action. A few anglers focus on catfish with great results.

If you’re one of those anglers who wants to focus on walleyes, jigs and crankbaits should be a big part of your arsenal, but don’t forget about live-bait rigs. On our most recent trip to Pepin this last late May, we caught good numbers of walleyes and sauger, and our biggest ones came on Roach Rigs behind Rock-Runner Slip Bobbers tipped with crawlers.

Day-in and day-out though, you’ll do well throwing Slurp! Jigs tipped with three inch Power Grubs or Slurpies Swim’n Grubs to wing-dams or shoreline rip-rap. Besides lots of walleyes and sauger, you’ll also catch good numbers of bonus fish like smallies, largemouth, white bass, and the occasional crappie or northern pike.

If you’re looking for a relaxing yet productive way to fish, tie on some Berkley Flicker Shad crankbaits. Pull these along the rip-rap banks or some of the shallower structures that can be found a short distance off shore. Get as many baits in the water as you can to determine the most productive size and color. Employing a planer board like those made by Off Shore Tackle will greatly assist in getting more lines in the water.

If largemouth bass or panfish are your interest, explore the backwaters. You’ll find lots of timber and vegetation to hold largemouth, crappies, and bluegills. Use traditional methods for these species and you will get bit.

The river around Lake City is a four-season area: You can go fishing year ‘round, and you’re chances for success can be outstanding. The backwaters above and below Lake City can provide fantastic ice-fishing for panfish.

If you’d like to extend your walleye season, the river just a little upstream from Lake City can help you out. You can catch and keep walleyes all year in this stretch of the Mississippi. Throughout the fall and then again in late winter and early spring you can experience some of the fastest walleye and sauger action you’ll find anywhere in the Mississippi near Lake City.