White Sucker Fishing Locations in Minnesota

Introduction:

The number one thing that I have learned about fishing is finding the "right place" and the "right time". I am yet to catch a White Sucker on hook and line, but I've done lots of research into how to catch them, where to catch them, and when to catch them. Here, I'm going to share what I've learned and hopefully, this'll help people catch their first White Sucker!

Methods & Bait:

White Sucker can be caught by many different methods of fishing, but some of the most traditional methods (that also produce the most amount of suckers) are bottom fishing, casting, fly fishing, jig fishing, and pole fishing. The bottom fishing method is considered the most productive due to the fact that White Suckers feed off of the bottom. The top baits for the species includes worms, bread, and corn, but worms are arguably the most productive bait to catching the species.

My go-to method for catching suckers are to use a simple Carolina rig. I use a sinker that can hold the bait towards the bottom and I use a leader line of 10-lbs to 14-lbs monofilament. I typically tie a size #2 octopus circle hook onto the leader and use an entire nightcrawler on the hook. I have found that leaving between 1 inch to 1.5 inches of nightcrawler dangling off the hook leads to the best results while targeting suckers.

Best Times & Best Possible Spots:

In the state of Minnesota, the spring time is arguably one's best shot at hooking into a White Sucker. Suckers begin to spawn once the snow begins to melt, so March, April and May are the best times to try to catch these fish. White Suckers are best caught during the day, when the air temperature is its warmest. Morning and afternoon sessions may be the best times of day to catch a sucker.

Suckers love hanging out in spots with a bit of current. The suckers will group together on shallow flats with a low to medium flow of current. One who is looking to catch a White Sucker should look for spots with current edges, drop offs, eddies, inlets, sand bars, and rocky bottoms in rivers, creeks, streams, lakes and ponds. Suckers like structure, so fishing near dams, brush piles, weed beds, and pockets of calm water between large rocks and boulders will often hold fish. 

Below are a few bodies of water with White Suckers.

Fishing Waters in Minnesota: