Mille Lacs walleye quota one-fourth that of last year

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By Tim Spielman Associate Editor, Mn Outdoor News
January 31, 2014

St. Paul — What will the walleye-fishing regulations look like for Lake Mille Lacs, the popular mid-Minnesota fishing destination, this year? The DNR says to expect rules much like the restrictive regs that governed fishing last year, even though, according to a department press release issued Jan. 31, the “safe harvest level” is about one-fourth that of last year.

The safe harvest level of walleyes for Mille Lacs recently was determined to be 60,000 pounds, down from 250,000 pounds last year, and the 500,000-pound quota set in 2012.

Of this year’s quota, the eight Chippewa bands that net Mille Lacs were allotted 17,100 pounds, leaving 42,900 for state hook-and-line anglers.

The DNR said, via the press release, that walleye-fishing regulations, when the season opens May 10, “will likely see regulations similar to last year,” when only two fish 18 to 20 inches could be kept (one over 28 inches could be part of that bag limit). That followed a year during which there was a protected 17- to 28-inch slot, with a bag limit of four.

In Friday’s press release, DNR Fisheries Chief Don Pereira didn’t rule out further restrictions. “A limited harvest under the existing restrictive harvest slot, combined with potential additional more restrictive regulations, will provide the needed protection to the lake’s struggling walleye population,” Pereira said in the release. An extended night-fishing ban is considered one option.

This year’s walleye allocations are the lowest since cooperative treaty management began for the lake in 1997, according to the release, and that they “reflect biologists’ deep concern about the lake’s recent inability to produce large crops of young walleyes, despite adequate spawning stock and excellent production of young-of-the-year, fingerling-sized fish. The lake has not produced a strong year-class of walleyes since 2008.”

Last year’s take of walleyes from Mille Lacs was underwhelming, due, among other things, to the fact that when the fishing season opened, the lake was still ice-covered, taking away one of the busiest weekends of the fishing season. The late ice-out also hindered tribal netters, who take was around 15,000 pounds of walleye – well below the allowed 71,250 pounds.

State anglers were allowed 178,500 pounds last year, and finished with 146,000 pounds of walleye.

The DNR said the high-water mark for safe walleye harvest was 2006, when it was deemed about 600,000 pounds could be taken.

The low point for angler take was in 2003, when the harvest (walleyes kept and hooking mortality combined) was under 67,000 pounds.

Pereira said in the release that some harvest this year is acceptable.

“Is the walleye population where we want it? Absolutely not,” he said in the release. “But restrictive harvest opportunities this year will not impair the lake’s ability to produce future generations of walleyes.”

Department officials will meet later this month with Mille Lacs “stakeholders” – resorters and others with a vested interest in the lake – to review regulation options. Others also will be asked for input. Rules for walleye fishing will be announced in March, the release says.

The DNR also recently announced a “blue-ribbon panel” of nationally recognized fisheries experts will be examining the Mille Lacs situation.