WALKER, Minn. - The improved health of the walleye population on Leech Lake has DNR fisheries officials considering a change in the size of fish anglers can keep.
Currently fishermen on Leech can keep four walleye, one of them over 26 inches, but regulations require the immediate release of all fish in the 20 to 26 inch slot. Those fish are important for spawning and improving Leech Lake's walleye population.
“We’ve met or exceeded all of our walleye management objectives on Leech Lake in large part due to very consistent production of young walleyes over the past 10 years,” said Doug Schultz, DNR area fisheries supervisor. “For this reason we will be discussing potential relaxation of walleye regulations and asking for public comments on a proposal immediately after our fall survey work wraps up this September.”
Schultz says Minnesota's current bag limit for lakes that don't have special restrictions is six walleye with one fish over 20 inches. While potential changes at Leech Lake will depend on survey work done this summer and fall, Schultz foresees that a bag limit of four walleye will remain on Leech, only the protected slot would be removed and anglers could keep one fish over a measurement that could be set anywhere from 17 to 20 inches.
That being said, Schultz emphasizes that any changes would not happen before the 2019 season, and would follow a period of public comment.
For more information on Leech Lake walleye management check out the DNR website.
