Beginning Dec. 1, Mille Lacs Lake anglers will be allowed to harvest four walleye up to 20 inches in length, with one trophy more than 28 inches allowed in the four-fish limit, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“This has been the standard regulation for the Mille Lacs winter walleye fishery since 2004,” said Ron Payer, DNR Fisheries Section chief. “By leaving the winter regulations unchanged, more restrictive regulations enacted back in July will be removed for the winter season.”
The winter regulation requires anglers to immediately release all walleye between 20 and 28 inches in length. No individual angler may possess more than four walleye at any time, and each of those fish must meet length restrictions.
DNR officials enacted more restrictive regulations in July to stay within the harvest cap that is set between the state of Minnesota and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Anglers licensed by the state of Minnesota harvested 463,000 pounds of walleye in 2007, which was slightly above the allocation of 449,000 pounds, but still below the 2007 maximum harvest cap of 547,780 pounds.
After unexpectedly low catches of walleye were observed in the assessment netting in September, fisheries managers considered tightening the winter regulations, Payer said. But the Mille Lacs Lake walleye population contains a wide range of age classes, the fishery appears to have an adequate number of walleye able to spawn and ice fishing typically accounts for only about 10-15 percent of Mille Lacs Lake’s annual walleye harvest.
The Lake Mille Lacs Fishery Input Group, which is comprised of Mille Lacs Lake area resort owners, conservation groups, outdoors clubs, local businesses and public officials, favored the standard winter regulation.
Regulations for the 2008 open water season will be established in February and go into effect with the walleye opener on May 12. |