Mille Lacs Lake Braces for Tighter Fishing Restrictions Amid Walleye Population Decline

(KNSI) — Anglers heading to Mille Lacs Lake will likely face tighter fishing restrictions after the Department of Natural Resources got its latest population estimates.

Officials say it is in response to a downturn in the lake’s walleye population due to a lower-than-expected perch count, a key food source for the fish. DNR fisheries biologists stated walleye numbers have dropped by about 9%. That will cause the total pounds harvested from the lake to go from 100,300 in 2023 to 91,550 pounds this year. The number was recently negotiated between the DNR and Ojibwe bands, who maintain treaty rights.

Last year, anglers were allowed to keep one walleye between 21 and 23 inches. This year’s regulation is yet to be decided but will be more stringent. The open water season regulations should be released in March.

In the past, the DNR has only allowed catch and release on the lake or shut down the harvest season during the warmest part of the year when hooking mortality becomes a problem.

Zebra mussels were first found in the lake in 2005 and have been blamed by officials for causing the population to drop.

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