In This Issue
Fall assessment shows walleye population is abundant enough to sustain some harvest
Winter anglers on Mille Lacs Lake can enjoy a walleye harvest opportunity for the seventh season in a row. Starting on Thursday, Dec. 1, anglers will be allowed to keep one walleye between 21-23 inches or one walleye longer than 28 inches on Mille Lacs.?
?Our assessment netting shows that the walleye population is abundant enough to sustain some harvest again this winter,? said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. ?We know offering harvest opportunities when possible is important for anglers.?
Winter regulations are set after completion of the DNR's annual fall netting assessment of the lake. The 2022 assessment found higher numbers of walleye than in the 2021 assessment, with walleye caught in similar numbers to what were found in the 2017-2020 assessments.
State-licensed anglers share the harvest of multiple species on Mille Lacs with eight Ojibwe tribes that have fishing rights under the 1837 treaty. The safe harvest levels for the fishing year will be set in early 2023 through discussions between the state and the tribes. The DNR will determine regulations for the 2023 open water season once the state?s allocations, calculated based on those safe harvest levels, are known, with an announcement of regulations in the spring.
Insights from fall assessment
The 2022 assessment showed improvement from the 2021 netting. Fisheries staff observed an abundance of walleye similar to numbers seen in recent years. The
2013-year class continues to be the most abundant, followed by fish hatched in 2017. The 2017-year class fish are now 18-21 inches long, with faster growing individuals exceeding 21 inches.
Fish that hatched in 2020-2022 were also sampled in higher numbers. It is encouraging to see additional year classes that may eventually contribute to the fishery, but the ultimate impact to the walleye population won?t be known for several years, Parsons said.
?Although there is no guarantee these fish will survive to adulthood in high numbers, we are cautiously optimistic that these year classes could contribute to the fishery in future years,? Parsons said.
The fall assessment also looks at food abundance and walleye health. Perch and cisco are the primary food source for Mille Lacs? walleye. Perch abundance has increased because of strong 2020?2021-year classes.
Walleye condition, or ?plumpness,? improved significantly for fish greater than 14 inches, reflecting the increased availability of forage fish. The higher abundance of food in the lake also has likely affected anglers? catch rates, which were lower in 2022 than in recent years.
?A lower catch rate in the late summer and fall can sometimes carry over into the winter if forage is abundant, but predators can also reduce forage later in the winter and the bite may improve,? Parsons said.
Complete winter fishing regulations for Mille Lacs Lake are available on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/millelacslake).
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Public lands for sale in Itasca, St. Louis and Wadena counties
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will hold an online land sale
Dec. 1-14 to sell 11 parcels in Itasca, St. Louis and Wadena counties. The parcels include vacant rural and lakeshore properties.
This year?s online public auction is in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Administration via MinnBid, the state of Minnesota?s surplus services online auction website. Property will be available for bidding Thursday, Dec. 1 through Wednesday, Dec. 14. Prior to participating in the online auction, anyone interested in bidding on a property should register for an account on the MinnBid website (minnbid.org/mobile/register).
Annual land sales help the DNR manage its land holdings and meet its responsibility to maximize recreation, conservation, and economic opportunities for the state. The DNR sells land at public auction in accordance with state statutes.
?In recent years, online auctions have gained popularity and provide a convenient opportunity to bid on state land, complementing DNR?s traditional in person auction approach,? said Andrea Johnson, DNR land sale coordinator. ?People who purchase vacant land from the DNR often use the parcel for hunting or other recreational purposes. Depending on size, lakeshore lots may be suitable for small cabins or the perfect place to park a camper trailer.?
For more information, including property data sheets, terms and conditions of sale, and instructions for participating in the MinnBid system, and to sign up for land sale updates, visit the DNR's Land Sale page (mndnr.gov/LandSale). For questions about a specific property, call 651-259-5432, 888-646-6367 or email [email protected].
DNR natural resource managers identify lands for sale that no longer meet conservation or recreation needs, are isolated from larger management areas or parcels, or may resolve conflicting management uses.
Public lands provide support for natural resource-based economies, access to outdoor recreation, ecological benefits like clean air and water, and critical habitat for wildlife and rare plant species.? Depending on the type of land sold, revenue from sales may go to the School Trust or provide funds to allow the DNR to invest in other, high priority acquisitions.?
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Meeting planned for Nov. 22 in Gibbon
An informational meeting is scheduled regarding proposed management changes for Clear Lake in Sibley County, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
DNR fisheries managers are investigating the use of drawdowns on Clear Lake, a shallow lake near Gibbon. A drawdown, or lake level lowering, is a tool that temporarily lowers water levels to mimic natural drought cycles. Droughts allow a shallow lake ecosystem to reset itself by re-establishing aquatic vegetation, consolidating sediment on the lake bottom, and increasing the chance of a fish winterkill. A significant winterkill would help remove Clear Lake?s abundant population of the invasive common carp, which degrade water quality through their feeding actions.
Clear Lake has been hampered by poor water quality because of common carp and shoreline erosion caused by wind and wave action. Management goals of this partial drawdown are to greatly reduce common carp populations, increase aquatic plant habitat for fish and wildlife, increase angling opportunities by stocking gamefish, and put the ?clear? back into Clear Lake.
The public can ask questions and provide input at a public meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 22 at the Gibbon Community Center. Interested parties can also contact Scott Mackenthun, Hutchinson area fisheries supervisor by calling 320-753-0324 or emailing him at: [email protected].
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