Attempt to stop muskie stocking fizzles; northern pike plan goes nowhere

State legislators failed to block the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from stocking muskies in new waters, but the agency lost on a separate fishing issue regarding a new northern pike management plan.

"Everything just kind of died at the end," said Bob Meier, assistant DNR commissioner. "It was just kind of a draw."

The anti-muskie stocking movement was largely fed by local opposition to DNR plans to introduce muskies in Otter Tail County, Gull Lake and Big Marine Lake. In the House and Senate, Republican lawmakers sought to undermine an active, science-based plan to expand muskie fishing opportunities across the state by 2020.

Three lakes — Pokegama, Roosevelt and the Sauk River Chain — already have been stocked under the management plan. But lake associations and local governments who opposed muskie stocking in the next set of designated sites circumvented the DNR with maneuvering in the Legislature to halt muskie introductions. They argue that muskies are a threat to walleyes and other fish populations.

The Senate passed a bill that included a four-year moratorium on stocking muskies in new water. The House, in its Game and Fish Bill, wanted to prohibit the DNR from stocking muskies in any of the lakes identified for muskie introduction this year.

John Underhill of Minnesota Muskie and Pike Alliance took little solace in the outcome when the legislative session ended Sunday in a collapse. Even as scientific evidence mounts in favor of the axiom that muskies co-exist in balance with walleyes, panfish, northern pike and other species, anti-muskie zealots churn out misinformation to the contrary, Underhill said.

"They will never give up," he said.

Regarding northern pike, the DNR has developed a plan to divide Minnesota into three zones of individualized regulations. Based on broad support for the idea, the agency introduced a stand-alone bill to gain instant legislative approval for the idea. It failed to pass. If the DNR now attempts to make the change administratively, the process could take two years. Each northern pike zone under the plan would have size limits and possession limits customized to meet specific management objectives for that zone.

In north-central Minnesota, for instance, "hammer-handle" northerns are overabundant and are killing walleye fry and forage fish needed for walleye to thrive. The DNR wants to increase the harvest of those smaller pike by greatly loosening the bag limit for them.

In northeastern Minnesota, harvest restrictions would be customized to grow more trophy northerns. And in southern Minnesota, regulations would be customized for an area where pike are less abundant and fishing pressure is high.

One other fishing proposal also fell flat at the Legislature — a $3.5 million provision to build a fisheries facility on the Mille Lacs lakefront in Garrison included in the bonding bill that died. DNR fisheries chief Don Pereira said in February the new station would include a modest cool-water hatchery and be commanded by a manager hired to fill the newly created position of Mille Lacs project leader.

Supported by Gov. Mark Dayton, the DNR said a new station was justified because Mille Lacs is so important to the state and undergoing such a complex array of changes. The big lake is having trouble sustaining the lives of baby walleyes and the DNR this year took the unprecedented step of stopping anglers from keeping any walleyes. On Mille Lacs this season, it's catch-and-release only.