In This Issue
No July closure or live bait ban planned; harvest adjustments possible if conditions warrant
State-licensed anglers will have the opportunity to harvest a walleye 21-23 inches in length or greater than 28 inches throughout the 2023 open water season on Mille Lacs Lake. A lower walleye harvest this winter and an improving walleye population are combining to allow this year’s more liberal regulations.
“We are pleased to see improvements in both the growth of adult walleye and survival of young walleye in Mille Lacs,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Those factors create the opportunity for anglers to have a continuous harvest season in 2023.”
Walleye regulations will apply from the walleye opener on Saturday, May 13, until the end of the open-water season on Thursday, Nov. 30. Unlike recent years, there is no planned closure to walleye fishing or ban on using live bait during the first two weeks in July.
On opening weekend, fishing will be allowed 24 hours a day. Beginning Monday, May 15, the night fishing closure takes effect, and fishing hours on Mille Lacs Lake will be
6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all species. From Saturday, June 3, through Thursday, Nov. 30, muskellunge and northern pike anglers using artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches are exempt from the night fishing closure. Starting Friday, Sept. 1, the night fishing closure is relaxed, with angling hours being 6 a.m. to midnight.
“As always, we will monitor the factors that determine the state’s walleye take throughout the open water season,” Parsons said. “If conditions warrant, we will adjust regulations, either to allow additional opportunity if harvest is especially low like it was in 2022 or tighten regulations if harvest exceeds our projections.”
The DNR and the eight Ojibwe bands that have treaty fishing rights under the 1837 treaty agreed Mille Lacs could sustain a state harvest of up to 100,300 pounds of walleye this year, an increase of 20,000 pounds from 2022. Adult walleye grew well in 2022, and year classes of younger walleye in the lake have the potential to contribute to the fishery in the future. Harvest levels are set annually, and may be lower or higher in subsequent years.
“The lake has been in a state of change since the 1990s. As the water started to clear, we began seeing warmer water temperatures. Change continues with the introduction of invasive species such as zebra mussel and spiny water flea,” Parsons said. “We will continue to monitor the lake to see how ongoing changes will influence the fishery.”
This year’s winter walleye harvest was 4,300 pounds. Lower catch rates for anglers due to abundant forage in the lake combined with poor ice conditions in the early season were responsible for this winter’s lower harvest. That drop in walleye take gave the DNR more flexibility to implement open water harvest opportunities this coming season.
The northern pike population in Mille Lacs is healthy, and harvest of fish under 30 inches is encouraged for anglers looking for another option to bring home a meal of fish. Mille Lacs is also home to a smallmouth bass population that opens to catch and release angling on May 13, with harvest of fish less than 17 inches allowed starting on Saturday, May 27.
“Our goal with regulations for all species is to offer fishing opportunities while also keeping in mind the long-term sustainability of the lake,” Parsons said.
More information about fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake, ongoing DNR management and research, citizen engagement and Mille Lacs area recreation opportunities is available on the DNR website (mndnr.gov/millelacslake).
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All litter also must be removed from the ice
Many anglers removed their fish houses from the ice in advance of last week’s winter storm. People who haven’t yet done so should make plans to meet upcoming deadlines, and all anglers – whether they’re fishing from a shelter or not – should leave only an imprint in the snow or ice when they head for shore.
The removal deadline for inland waters in the southern two-thirds of the state is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 6. In the northern one-third of the state – north of the east-west line formed by U.S. Highway 10, east along Highway 34 to Minnesota Highway 200, east along Highway 200 to U.S. Highway 2, and east along Highway 2 to the Minnesota-Wisconsin border – the deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 20.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers have been out recently checking shelters and documenting potential problem areas ahead of the removal deadlines. They’re watching especially closely to ensure people don’t leave litter behind, including the wooden blocking materials anglers use to keep their shelters off the ice. Other commonly left items include sewage, bait, bottles, cans and cigarette butts.
“Anything that’s left on the ice will either sink to the bottom or float to shore, and in either case harms our environment and portrays a negative image of all ice anglers,” said DNR Conservation Officer Garrett Thomas, who is stationed in Eagan. “If you brought something onto the ice, it’s your responsibility to bring it off. While we’re lucky to have people who care and don’t hesitate to pick up after others, they shouldn’t have to do that.”
After the deadlines, fish houses can still be on the ice, but must be occupied if the houses are out between midnight and one hour before sunrise. Shelters can’t be left or stored at public accesses. Shelters not removed by the deadline might be confiscated and removed from the ice, and their owners might receive citations.
As they venture out, anglers always should keep in mind that ice conditions can vary widely and that ice is never 100% safe.
Exceptions to the removal deadlines are Minnesota-Canada border waters (March 31), Minnesota-South Dakota and North Dakota border waters (March 5), Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters (March 1) and Minnesota-Iowa border waters (Feb. 20).
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Participants provide important data about rainfall amounts, climate trends
The Minnesota State Climatology Office is looking for volunteer rainfall monitors for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS). The network includes more than 20,000 volunteers nationwide who measure precipitation in their backyards using a standard 4-inch-diameter rain gauge.
These rainfall monitoring activities are performed by individuals at home who submit their reports online. Climatologist Luigi Romolo said the data from backyard rain gauges are helpful and important in many ways.
“These volunteers help the DNR verify high rain and snow totals after big events, monitor drought and flooding, make our precipitation maps more accurate and provide needed guidance on Minnesota’s changing climate,” Romolo said. “This is also a great educational activity for families with kids and a rewarding hobby for anyone interested in weather or climate.”
Volunteers are particularly needed outside the immediate Twin Cities metro area. Volunteers receive training on how to observe weather trends and how to submit their precipitation and weather event reports. All training material is available online. They must purchase or provide a standard 4-inch-diameter rain gauge (available at discount through CoCoRaHS) and have internet access to submit reports.
For the past three years, Minnesota has won the “CoCoRaHS Cup” for recruiting the most new volunteers of any state. “We’re hoping Minnesotans will again come through in 2023, to keep the Cup in Minnesota and, more important of course, to improve our state’s precipitation recording,” Romolo said.
To sign up or for more information, visit CoCoRaHS.org or contact Luigi Romolo at [email protected].
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The public is invited to join Kanabec County staff for a workshop facilitated by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on the Kanabec County Groundwater Atlas.
The workshop will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 16, in the Kanabec County Jail Training Room, 100 S Vine St., Mora. There will also be an online attendance option. Pre-registration by March 10 is highly recommended. Contact the Kanabec County coordinator’s office at 320-679-6440 or [email protected] to register or to get information to participate online.
Groundwater atlases are used to identify viable sources of drinking water, manage groundwater sustainably, guide decisions for well and septic system construction, inform wellhead protection efforts for public water supply, understand regional recharge and groundwater movement, and assess pollution sensitivity and possible contaminant migration.
The workshop will include:
- A summary of the geologic atlas by Minnesota Geological Survey.
- A review of the groundwater atlas findings in the county by the DNR.
- Participation in real-world exercises to help get oriented to the atlas and how it can be used.
Other topics will include groundwater flow, sensitivity, chemistry, recharge and use. There will also be opportunities to address questions on other groundwater subjects.
Partial funding for the groundwater atlas project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and the Clean Water Fund.
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