DNR Releases 10 Million Baby Walleye Into Mille Lacs

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is pushing forward on efforts to restock Lake Mille Lacs with walleye.

Last season, the lake's dwindling population of the fish forced the DNR to impose strict fishing regulations. The regulations stymied local fishing shops and resorts on Mille Lacs, leading to a local economic crisis.

Since then, the DNR has been mounting an effort to restore walleye in the popular lake, including a scientific effort to identify the cause of the sharp decline in population.

The plan entered its restocking phase on Thursday, as DNR biologists began releasing 10 million walleye fry -- mosquito-sized baby walleye -- into the lake to curb the crisis. The effort began earlier this year when biologists gathered walleye eggs from a lake, fertilized them and hatched them at a St. Paul facility. The DNR says the fry are chemically marked, so that biologists can determine at the end of the summer the success of the restocking effort.

Still, catch-and-release regulations remain in place for younger walleye, ensuring the next generation of walleye can spawn and the population can rebound next year.