WACONIA — Waconia is set to welcome the 2012 Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener.

Gov. Mark Dayton plans to attend Friday’s community picnic in Waconia, then fish Lake Waconia at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and fish again later Saturday morning.

The 3,000-acre lake west of Minneapolis is one of the largest in the seven-county Twin Cities metro area, second only to Lake Minnetonka. But regional fisheries manager Brad Parsons says Lake Waconia holds 1 1/2 times to twice as many walleyes as Minnetonka, White Bear Lake or Forest Lake, and they average about 19 inches and 2.5 pounds.

One reason is Waconia gets stocked with walleye every year instead of every other year like many other metro lakes. It’s also stocked with muskellunge every other year, but the muskie season doesn’t open until June 2.