Minnesota State Wire

[ST. PAUL, MN] – This weekend, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan celebrated the Governor’s Fishing Opener on Madison Lake near Mankato. On Friday, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan interviewed with radio stations from across the state during Radio Row, visited the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota, and presented the Fishing and Water Education Day in Minnesota proclamation at an outdoor learning event. On Saturday, she participated in the opening day launch ceremony before fishing on Madison Lake. Afterwards, she joined other anglers for a shore lunch. Photos from the weekend’s events can be found on Flickr and video and soundbites can be found in DNR’s media library.

“Fishing is important to our state for so many reasons, and this weekend has been a great showcase for that,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. “I was honored to take part in such a fun and longstanding tradition, celebrating our state’s strong outdoor economy, important local businesses, and abundant natural resources. I had a great weekend taking advantage of all these opportunities and hope it inspires others to do the same. I want to thank the Greater Mankato Area for being gracious hosts and encourage everyone to get out and enjoy all that our state has to offer!”

Schedule of Events

On Friday morning, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan hosted Radio Row in Mankato and talked with reporters from around the state. Later, she visited the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota in Mankato. Lieutenant Governor Flanagan also visited an outdoor learning event hosted by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and presented the Fishing and Water Education Day in Minnesota proclamation.

On Saturday morning, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan attended an opening day launch ceremony and fished on Madison Lake. The Lieutenant Governor was hosted by Dan Sprague and fished with DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Explore Minnesota Tourism Director Lauren Bennett McGinty, and Senator Nick Frentz. After fishing, she joined fellow anglers for a shore lunch.

The Governor's Fishing Opener has been a tradition in Minnesota since 1948. The event was designed to promote the development of Minnesota's $4.4 billion fishing industry, and in recent years, it has served as an iconic kick-off celebration for the summer tourism season. Travel and tourism have traditionally generated approximately $16 billion in leisure and hospitality gross sales in Minnesota annually.

Original source can be found here.