DNR announces new 2005 fishing regulations for some northwestern Minnesota lakes
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will implement new special fishing regulations on several northwestern Minnesota lakes this spring, according to Northwest Regional Fisheries Manager Henry Drewes. The announcement comes after an internal review and a public comment period during the fall of 2004. The regulations will cover angling for walleye, bass, northern pike, crappie and sunfish.
The DNR has been reviewing fishing regulations statewide for many years, said Drewes, and we’ve learned a great deal in that time about how we can improve fish populations in area lakes with length and bag limits. The public review process for our regulations proposals helps us match the publics desired fishing experience with the appropriate management tool for each lake.
The management tools that were considered for each lake come from the DNR toolbox regulations, which are a suite of special regulations considered by fisheries staff based on the specific management objectives for a particular lake. Once implemented on a lake, the regulations are monitored over a 10- to 15-year period to evaluate the effectiveness of the regulations for improving fish populations.
The following northwestern Minnesota lakes will be included on the 2005 list of lakes with special fishing regulations. Unless otherwise specifically mentioned, all other general statewide fishing regulations apply to these waters.
Cass County (Walker Area Fisheries Office) Horseshoe Lake. Anglers may possess a total of three walleye, five crappie and five sunfish. Bass 12 inches and larger must be immediately returned to the water. Anglers may possess one northern pike greater than 30 inches; all northern pike less than 30 inches must be immediately returned to the water.
Douglas County (Glenwood Area Fisheries Office) Maple Lake. Anglers may possess a total of five crappies; all crappies less than 10 inches must be immediately returned to the water. This regulation is a modification of a previous experimental regulation on the lake.
Hubbard County (Park Rapids Area Fisheries Office) Big Sand Lake. Anglers may possess one walleye over 28 inches as part of their six-fish possession limit. Walleye in a protected slot of 20 inches to 28 inches must be immediately returned to the water. This regulation is a modification of a previous experimental regulation on the lake.
Otter Tail County (Fergus Falls Area Fisheries Office) Jewett Lake. Anglers may possess one bass over 20 inches as part of their six-fish possession limit; all other bass 12 inches and larger must be immediately returned to the water.
North & South Lida, Venstrom and Mud lakes. Anglers may posses one walleye over 26 inches as part of their six-fish possession limit. Walleye in a protected slot of 17 inches to 26 inches must be immediately returned to the water.
Pickeral Lake. Anglers may possess one bass over 20 inches as part of their six-fish possession limit; all bass 12 inches and larger must be immediately returned to the water.
Sewell Lake. Anglers may possess one bass over 20 inches as part of their six-fish possession limit; all bass 12 inches and larger must be immediately returned to the water.
Star Lake. Anglers may possess a total of 10 sunfish.
Stuart Lake. Anglers may possess a total of 10 crappie; all crappies less than 10 inches must be immediately returned to the water.
The special regulations for all of these lakes will take effect on Mar. 1, 2005. In addition, the DNR has also added Leech Lake to its list of lakes in the state’s Large Lake Program to have special walleye regulations, which will take effect on the fishing opener, May 14. The Department also implemented new regulations on Lake of the Woods and Rainy River in December 2004.
Fisheries staff considered a sunfish regulation for West Lost Lake in Otter Tail County, but dropped the proposal after public input indicated a lack of support for the measure.
For more information about the special regulations on lakes in the Northwest Region, contact DNR fisheries staff at area offices. Additional information on all of the lakes mentioned here is located on the DNR Web site at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html.