Minnesota DNR orders Catch-and-Release Walleye Season in Mille lacs
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has announced new regulations for the 2016 fishing season on Mille Lacs Lake.
The DNR will now require that walleye anglers use only artificial bait and immediately release all walleye. The new regulations are in place to avoid a complete shutdown of walleye fishing. Last summer, the DNR shut down Mille Lacs Lake to walleye fishing after anglers exceeded the quota of 28,600. The DNR announced at that time it was taking several steps to improve the walleye population in the lake.
“A catch-and-release walleye season allows us to protect future spawners yet acknowledges the desire that fishing remain open,” said Don Pereira, fisheries chief for the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources, “Not allowing harvest is a difficult decision but it provides our best option.”
The regulations will run from May 14 to Thursday, December 1.
The DNR says hooking mortality rates and warm water temperatures are factors playing into the new walleye regulations.
According to the DNR, anglers targeting Northern Pike and muskellunge may possess and use sucker minnows longer than 8 inches, but all other anglers must not possess any other bait that is live, dead, frozen or processed.
