Anglers To Keep Fewer Sunfish On Several Area Lakes

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

(KNSI) – New sunfish regulations go into effect on the Sauk River Chain of Lakes in Stearns County this year.

The changes will mean anglers can only take 10 sunfish a day rather than the statewide limit of 20.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says the lakes affected are from Highway 23 downstream to the Cold Spring Dam. They include Becker, Bolfing, Cedar Island, Great Northern, Horseshoe, Knaus, Krays, Schneider, and Zumwalde.

The rules include the Sauk River in that area.

Other Central Minnesota Lakes with new limits include Indian and Sylvia Lakes in Wright County.

The DNR has changed nearly 100 lakes’ regulations to increase sunfish sizes by allowing more big fish to stay in the lakes and reproduce.

Specifically, 44 waters will have a new daily limit of five sunfish, 31 will have a limit of 10 sunfish, 17 will have a limit of five sunfish and five crappies, and two will have 10 sunfish and five crappies.

Biologists say sunfish spawn in large nesting colonies during the spring and early summer. Male sunfish build and defend nests.

The largest sunfish often get the best-spawning sites.

When anglers keep the largest sunfish, the remaining small males don’t need to compete with larger males to spawn.

Once the larger males are gone, the smaller males devote less energy to growing. Instead, they devote energy to spawning at younger ages and smaller sizes.

Minnesota fishing regulations use sunfish as the generic name for bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, longear, warmouth, and hybrids.

Check out all the 2021 fishing regulations; click here.

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