With the retreat of winter’s icy grip, southeastern Minnesota streams have once again regained their hold on anglers who spent winter dreaming of flies, spinners, bobbers and, of course, trout. But just beyond the tranquil scenes of springtime fishing are significant changes in regulations on 22 trout streams in six counties.

The regulations, which took effect when the stream trout season opened April 16, require anglers to release fish of certain sizes in order to produce larger trout for anglers to catch in the future. The regulations are the product of several years of work and debate among the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), local citizens, Trout Unlimited, and Minnesota Trout Association.

“We learned that trout anglers want a variety of experiences,” said Jason Moeckel, DNR assistant regional fisheries manager in Rochester. “Some want larger fish. Others want more fish. For still others, it’s taking a few fish home to eat. The new regulations represent a reasonable balance of these wants. As a result, anglers will have the ability to find an experience that suits their preference.”

Southeastern Minnesota has 680 miles of designated, fishable trout waters. More than 2,400 DNR fish-population surveys indicate the trout population has tripled there since 1970. Moeckel said the new regulations apply to about 129 miles of the top trout waters.

Special regulations can help grow larger fish in catch-and-release-only streams and protect larger fish in streams with protective slot limits. But they’re not a cure-all, Moeckel said.

“Our long-range plan for cold-water resources details further efforts to monitor trout populations, conduct angler surveys andd improve trout habitat,” he said. “It also calls for us to work with citizen groups, landowners, and industry to improve watersheds and water quality.”

Anglers might not notice significant changes in the number or size of trout they catch for several years. The new regulations appear in the 2005 Minnesota Fishing Regulations handbook and will be posted at public accesses on affected streams. See 2005 trout fishing regulations in southeastern Minnesota online at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

Reprinted with permission from Minnesota Conservation Volunteer. For a free subscription, call (651) 296-6157 or 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367).