DNR: Mille Lacs Lake Goes Catch-&-Release For Walleye Anglers

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The fishing season on Lake Mille Lacs will begin with regulations designed to help put an end to an ongoing walleye crisis.

When the season opens in May, anglers must catch and release any walleye caught.

Last year, people were only allowed to keep one walleye, but the anglers quickly went over the lake's harvest limit and the season was shut down early.

The DNR says its main goal this season is to continue providing world-class fishing at one of Minnesota's premier vacation destinations.

In order to do that, the DNR's fishery experts say they had to make this season catch-and-release and put restrictions on bait.

"The number one request that we had was to really try to minimize the probability that we might have to close the walleye fishing season," said Don Pereira, the DNR's chief of fisheries.

He says that from May 14 to Dec. 1, anglers fishing for walleye on Mille Lacs must use artificial bait and immediately release any walleye caught.

"We also made it clear that we need to be diligent in conserving both the current spawners in the lake and also the future spawners," he said.

The DNR expects more small-and intermediate-sized fish hatched in 2013 to be caught.

It's those fish the experts hope will rebuild Mille Lac's walleye population.

"The 2013 class is quite abundant, anglers were catching a lot of them during the winter fishery this year," Pereira said. "We had very high catch rates during the winter fishery so we have very good reason to expect very high catch rates and therefore good fishing this coming open water season."

Even with a catch-and-release program, the risk of closing Mille Lacs to walleye fishing remains.

"There still are a lot of spawning fish on the lake, and we want to maintain those spawning fish but they are at an all-time low," Pereira said. "We don't know at what point Mille Lacs will become spawner limited. It's not at that point now, we do not want it to get to that point."

There is already push back against the state's decision to allow no walleye to be kept this year.

One lawmaker says he will introduce a bill to override the DNR's actions.

Business owners in the Lake Mille Lacs area said they were stunned by the DNR's announcement.

Prince Bait & Marine co-owner Josh Zens said he has had to diversify and focus more attention on service and maintenance over the last decade or so because of inconsistencies and struggles with the walleye population.

"The bait has steadily been on a decrease due to Mille Lacs so we broadened," Zens said.

Zens said 75% of his customers want live bait over artificial, so the DNR's decision to ban live bait will be detrimental to businesses like his.

"We were hoping to get a better end of this deal," Zens said.

After 25 years in the fishing business, Lundeen's Tackle Castle owners Bill and Kathy Lundeen said they do not agree with the DNR's regulations.

"We are being penalized because fishing is too good here," Bill Lundeen said.

The business owners hope people will still come to the area and fish for several other types of fish like Bass and Northern pike.