GARRISON, Minn. — Editor's Note: The video above first aired in November of 2021.
Anglers making their way to central Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake this spring will be limited to harvesting just one walleye, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The one-walleye limit includes fish 21-23 inches long, or one longer than 28 inches, beginning Saturday, May 14 and going through Monday, May 30. Walleye fishing will then be catch and release until a complete two-week closure from July 1 through July 15. Catch-and-release rules will then continue through Aug. 31, with the one-walleye limit expected to return Thursday, Sept. 1 through Wednesday Nov. 30, pending the earlier fish harvest and summer mortality rates.
After opening weekend (when fishing is allowed 24 hours a day) fishing hours on Mille Lacs Lake will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all species. Beginning Saturday, June 4, muskellunge and northern pike anglers using artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches can fish after 10 p.m.
The DNR says the tightened regulations are designed to reduce hooking mortality, helping to provide the opportunity for a fall harvest. During July's closure, the DNR says certain types of bait will be restricted — minnows, crawlers, worms, leeches and crayfish — to help prevent anglers from accidentally catching walleye.
“We must continue to manage state harvest very carefully on Mille Lacs so we can provide as much angling opportunity as prudent while protecting the opportunities for the future,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Two recent year classes show below-average numbers of walleye, which means we need to factor in that fewer fish than normal will mature into spawning adults during the next few years.”
Even amid the newly announced regulations, the DNR says this year's winter harvest amounted to less than half of what was expected, potentially allowing the department to implement fewer restrictions for the rest of 2022.
“Our projections make me confident we’ll have fall harvest,” Parsons said. “But predicting fishing pressure, catch rates and weather involves some uncertainty, so we want people to recognize that the fall harvest will depend on how much of the state’s walleye harvest total remains as we approach September.”
Spring and summer walleye limits and restrictions are carefully watched by those in the Mille Lacs community, especially by resorts and businesses that depend on fishing traffic to survive.
For more information on this year's fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake, visit the DNR's website.
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