Mille Lacs walleye limit cut to one; night muskie fishing to be allowed
One walleye 19- to 21-inches long or one over 28 inches will be allowed on Mille Lacs when fishing opens Saturday, May 9, and an extended night fishing closure will again be in effect beginning the Monday after the opener.
The night fishing ban will be enforced from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., beginning May 11, and extend to Tuesday, Dec. 1.
The 2015 regulations for Mille Lacs Lake are:
• Walleye: Limit one and the fish must be 19- to 21-inches long or longer than 28 inches.
* Northern pike: Limit of 10. One fish may be longer than 30 inches only if two fish shorter than 30 inches are caught on the same trip and in possession.
* Bass: Limit of six smallmouth and largemouth bass in combination. Only one smallmouth bass may be longer than 18 inches.
The Mille Lacs 2015 walleye safe harvest level was reduced from 60,000 to 40,000 pounds so more fish potentially survive and spawn to improve the walleye population, the DNR said. State anglers can harvest up to 28,600 pounds of walleye. Eight Chippewa bands can harvest up to 11,400 pounds of walleye.
Last year, Mille Lacs anglers could keep two walleyes 18- to 20-inches long or one longer than 28 inches.
“This set of regulations is designed to minimize the likelihood that a catch-and-release only walleye fishing regulation would be needed later in the season to stay within the state’s safe harvest allocation,” Don Pereira, DNR fisheries chief said.
The northern pike regulation change was suggested and supported by the Mille Lacs input group. Angling for northern pike runs May 9 through March 27, 2016
startribune.com/sports/blogs
This is always hard to see every year. Stay safe.......Rob
2 comments:
WOW 10 Northern Pike. I think the limit down here is one.
Its just sad to see. This lake is one of the largest in the state. Foresee the resort owners going to the state hat in hand asking for money due to the fishing limit. This the only lake in MN with restrictions I believe.
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