Minnesota DNR to continue looser walleye limit policy on Mille Lacs Lake this winter

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Anglers on central Minnesota’s Mille Lacs Lake will be able to fill their livewells with a bit more walleye this winter.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says from Dec. 1 to Feb. 23, 2025, those with state fishing licenses are now allowed to keep either:
DNR Fisheries Section Manager Brad Parsons says the changes are a continuation of the fall’s restriction ease due to the rebound of the lake’s walleye population.
“Mille Lacs’ walleye population is trending in a good direction for both adult and juvenile fish. Juvenile perch and tullibee, important forage species for walleye, also are abundant,” Parsons said.
The DNR says as of late September, anglers have caught “29,891 of the 91,550 pounds of walleye” allocated for this year’s fishing season. In a report from 2021, the DNR estimated anglers were catching between 3 million to 4 million walleye a year.
WCCO reported in August how the DNR’s yearslong catch-and-release policy on Mille Lacs, plus last winter’s record warmth and this summer’s unusual sogginess, has deterred anglers and hurt area businesses for the past several years.
Randy Simons, owner of Randy’s Rentals in Onamia, called the catch-and-release policy “devastating.”
“We were very happy to have the two walleye limit come back. We really need that for our community in this lake, to get the walleye fisherman back here,” Simons said.
The DNR says each year’s walleye harvest numbers on Mille Lacs are determined via negotiations with state officials and leaders of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Aug. 15, 2024.