Walleye fishing regulations are being tightened on Lake Mille Lacs, Minnesota's most popular walleye lake, to prevent overharvest.
That means anglers likely will be keeping fewer fish. Walleyes 17 to 28 inches must be released this season, under a change announced Thursday by the Department of Natural Resources. The protected slot was 18 to 28 inches for the past few years, and the DNR and Mille Lacs-area businesses have sought consistency in the regulations after years of fluctuations.
The new regulations still allow one walleye 28 inches or longer to be included in the four-fish limit.
The slot is being tightened to ensure the state doesn't exceed its allocation of 357,000 pounds. The tribal allocation is 142,500 pounds.
Most members of the Mille Lacs Fishery Input Group supported the 17- to 28-inch slot, said Terry McQuoid of McQuoid's Inn on Mille Lacs, a member of the group.
"It's the safest we can have for this year," he said. "We can't go over [the allocation]."
Officials expect the fishing on Mille Lacs to be very good. The walleye season opens May 12.
DOUG SMITH
