DNR Fish and Wildlife Almanac

A weekly list of news briefs about fish, wildlife, and habitat management.

DNR shares tips to start ice fishing this season??

Winter is here and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has tips for anyone who wants to try ice fishing. The DNR?s learn to ice fish page (mndnr.gov/GoFishing/Learn-Ice-Fish.html) has information about how to search for fishing lakes online with DNR LakeFinder, how to dress, thrifty ways to get fishing equipment, and how to catch fish through the ice.

The DNR also has recorded webinars that share tips on ice fishing. One webinar covers how to catch panfish through the ice and another webinar covers how to catch northern pike through the ice. Both webinars are available on the DNR?s webinar archive page (mndnr.gov/discover#tab-1-2).

Trout anglers can find winter fishing opportunities in
southeast Minnesota

Winter trout fishing is another way to enjoy the outdoors along streams that meander through the scenic bluffs and hills of southeastern Minnesota.

Trout fishing is catch-and-release only from Saturday, Jan. 1, through Friday, April 14, at all designated trout streams in Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties. There are also catch-and-release fishing opportunities all winter in Beaver Creek Valley, Forestville and Whitewater state parks, as well as in the city limits of Chatfield, Lanesboro, Preston, Rushford and Spring Valley.

Southeastern Minnesota trout fishing information is available on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/Fishing/Trout/Southeast.html) and fishing maps are available on the Lanesboro area fisheries page (mndnr.gov/Areas/Fisheries/Lanesboro).

DNR webinars cover winter sturgeon fishing and camp cooking

The DNR invites people interested in fishing and outdoor skills to tune in to upcoming webinars that will discuss winter sturgeon fishing and camp cooking.

The first webinar is at noon Wednesday, Dec. 28. DNR fisheries specialists Joel Stiras and Tony Sindt will discuss sturgeon management and how to catch this prehistoric fish through the ice.

The second webinar is at noon Wednesday, Jan. 4. Jason Jech, executive director of the Red Wing Environmental Learning Center, will discuss camp cooking, including tips and tricks about what to bring, what not to bring, and how to cook food that will nourish, sustain and taste good.

The webinars are part of the DNR?s Minnesota Outdoor Skills and Stewardship Series. The webinars are free but registration is required. More information is available on the outdoor skills and stewardship page of the DNR website (mndnr.gov/discover).

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