Red Lake winter walleye regulations announced

Anglers fishing Upper Red Lake this winter will be able to keep three walleye of which only one may be longer than 17 inches, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The regulations, effective Thursday, Dec. 1, are the same regulations that were in place last winter.

“These regulations were very well accepted by anglers, and meet our harvest plan objectives by spreading harvest over a wide range of sizes and removing some of the surplus spawning stock,” said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor with the DNR.

In fall assessment netting by the DNR and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, walleye abundance was excellent with large numbers of fish from 12 to 20 inches.

More information on Red Lake fishing regulations are available at www.mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing.

2016 Mille Lacs regulations designed to keep walleye fishing open

Regulations designed to protect the fish needed to rebuild Mille Lacs Lake’s walleye population will require that walleye anglers use only artificial bait and immediately release all walleye when Minnesota’s 2016 fishing season opens Saturday, May 14.

“A catch-and-release walleye season allows us to protect future spawners yet acknowledges the desire that fishing remain open,” said Don Pereira, fisheries chief for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Not allowing harvest is a difficult decision but it provides our best option.”

From May 14 to Thursday, Dec. 1, anglers targeting walleye must use artificial bait and immediately release all walleye caught. Anglers targeting northern pike and muskellunge may possess and use sucker minnows longer than 8 inches but all other anglers must not possess any other bait that is live, dead, frozen or processed.

Other changed regulations for the 2016 season on Mille Lacs include:

• Walleye: Night closure beginning Monday, May 16, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and continuing through Dec. 1. Muskellunge anglers may fish at night but all baits, live or artificial, in possession must be at least 8 inches long.
• Northern pike: Five fish with only one longer than 40 inches. All northern 30-40 inches long must be immediately released.
• Bass: Four fish with only one longer than 21 inches. All fish 17-21 inches long must be immediately released.

“These new regulations reflect the DNR’s commitment to continue providing world-class fishing at one of Minnesota’s premier vacation destinations,” Pereira said.

Last year on Mille Lacs, walleye anglers could use live bait and keep one walleye 19-21 inches long or longer than 28 inches. Walleye fishing closed in August when fishing pressure, the number of fish caught and temperatures combined to push the state over its 28,600 pound walleye limit. Fishing re-opened on Dec. 1, 2015, with a walleye limit of one 18-20 inches or one longer than 28 inches.

This year’s safe walleye harvest level established by the DNR and Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission remains at 40,000 pounds, with 28,600 allocated to state anglers and 11,400 to tribal anglers. Allowing fishing beyond those limits puts the walleye population at risk and a federal court decision requires that walleye fishing be suspended.

“The possibility of closing Mille Lacs to walleye fishing is greater this year than it was last,” Pereira said. “Even with our catch-and-release approach, the risk remains considerable.”

Concern stems from the additional pressure that hooking mortality – an estimate of the number of fish that die after being caught and returned to the water – has on walleye harvest. Hooking mortality rates also increase as water temperatures warm. Both factors are at play in Mille Lacs this year.

The DNR expects more small- and intermediate-sized fish to be caught, including fish hatched in 2013 that biologists are counting on to rebuild Mille Lacs’ walleye population. These immature fish, which are approaching a more catchable but comparatively small size of 14 inches and longer, need to be protected so they can spawn. Ice is opening on lakes earlier this year, increasing the likelihood that water temperatures will warm faster and sooner.

“A low level of allowed harvest doesn’t necessarily mean slow walleye fishing,” Pereira said. “As we saw last year, factors can combine to alter estimates and require adjustments. We believe that allowing no walleye harvest through catch-and-release is a reasonable yet cautious response based on in-depth analysis and citizen input from the Mille Lacs advisory committee.”

As part of a more comprehensive study to better understand and estimate hooking mortality, the DNR will collect a variety of fishing information on Mille Lacs this summer. Temperature sensors will be placed in different parts of the lake at different depths to more accurately record temperatures where walleye congregate. Information on fishing methods and catches will be collected, too. Part of the information collection aspect of the research program will allow Mille Lacs’ fishing launches to be exempt from the live bait restriction.

“Anglers fish close together on launches, making it extremely difficult to safely cast artificial lures rather than dropping baited lines into the water,” Pereira said. “Since the DNR needs more data to refine its hooking mortality standards, asking launches to provide this data will allow a traditional, popular and enjoyable method of fishing on Mille Lacs to continue.”

Launch operators receiving a permit can use live bait provided they agree to participate in efforts to collect data from fishing trips, launch customers and cooperate with the hooking mortality study. Their permits would be suspended if walleye fishing on Mille Lacs has to be closed.

Bass regulations compromise

Anglers can keep four bass in any combination of largemouth and smallmouth, down from last year’s limit of six fish. The new regulations add a requirement that all fish 17-21 inches be immediately released, and the length restriction for the largest fish an angler may keep increased from 18 to 21 inches.

The early harvest offered on Mille Lacs also was eliminated, requiring that – like the rest of the state – all bass caught during the first two weeks of the season be immediately released.

Mille Lacs’ exemption to the statewide fall closure of the smallmouth bass season remains, meaning that anglers may keep smallmouth bass they catch on Mille Lacs through Feb. 28, 2017.

DNR changed the regulation to balance bass angling groups’ call for stricter regulations to protect Mille Lacs Lake’s world-class smallmouth fishery with the desire and need to provide anglers opportunities to harvest fish.

“Bass regulations are a compromise,” Pereira said. “Last year’s regulations were biologically sound but it was important that DNR also factor in the emerging social aspects in this year’s regulations.”

The ability to exempt large bass tournaments from the size regulation and bag limits remains.

Northern pike regulations change

Mille Lacs anglers can keep five northern pike, only one of which can be longer than 40 inches. All fish 30-40 inches must be immediately released.

The five-fish limit was initially enacted last December. The protected slot limit replaces the provision that allowed anglers to keep only one fish longer than 30 inches.

The earn-a-trophy provision that required anglers to harvest two smaller pike before one larger one was eliminated for the 2016 open water season.

More information about Mille Lacs is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/millelacslake.

DNR announces new special angling regulations

Following public review that wrapped up this past fall, fishing regulations will change on 17 lakes and one stream starting in March, while existing regulations on five lakes will become permanent, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.

The changes involve three types of regulations that are specific to individual waters: new regulations that have not yet been in effect; modified regulations that have been in effect but will be changed; and regulations turning permanent that were reviewed and will now be in effect indefinitely.

“We listen to the public and consider biological information from our fish surveys when making decisions about changes to fishing regulations,” said Al Stevens, fisheries program consultant with the DNR. “Each year we let the public know what decisions are made so they know the result of the public process and what regulations will change.”

NEW REGULATIONS
Birdseye Lake (Itasca County): Walleye 17 to 26 inches must be released with one fish longer than 26 inches allowed in a possession limit of six; intended to increase abundance of spawning-age walleye, stabilize reproduction and end boom-and-bust cycles of walleye fishing success. This regulation is for Sand Lake and connected waters (Birdseye, Portage and Little Sand lakes).

Green Prairie Fish Lake (Morrison County): 10-fish bag limit on sunfish; regulation reviewed after 10 years to evaluate how well they provided quality sunfish for anglers.

Little Sand Lake (Itasca County): Walleye 17 to 26 inches must be released with one fish longer than 26 inches allowed in a possession limit of six; intended to increase abundance of spawning-age walleye, stabilize reproduction and end boom-and-bust cycles of walleye fishing success. This regulation is for Sand Lake and connected waters (Birdseye, Portage and Little Sand lakes).

Long (Higgins) Lake (Morrison County): 10-fish bag limit on sunfish; regulation reviewed after 10 years to evaluate how well they provided quality sunfish for anglers.

Maple Lake (Crow Wing County): 10-fish bag limit on sunfish; regulation reviewed after 10 years to evaluate how well they provided quality sunfish for anglers.

Moose Lake (Todd County): 10-fish bag limit on sunfish; regulation reviewed after 10 years to evaluate how well they provided quality sunfish for anglers.

Platte Lake (Crow Wing County): 10-fish bag limit on sunfish; regulation reviewed after 10 years to evaluate how well they provided quality sunfish for anglers.

Portage Lake (Itasca County): Walleye 17 to 26 inches must be released with one fish longer than 26 inches allowed in a possession limit of six; intended to increase abundance of spawning-age walleye, stabilize reproduction and end boom-and-bust cycles of walleye fishing success. This regulation is for Sand Lake and connected waters (Birdseye, Portage and Little Sand lakes).

Sand Lake (Itasca County): Walleye 17 to 26 inches must be released with one fish longer than 26 inches allowed in a possession limit of six; intended to increase abundance of spawning-age walleye, stabilize reproduction and end boom-and-bust cycles of walleye fishing success. This regulation also applies to connected waters (Birdseye, Portage and Little Sand lakes).

Sullivan Lake (Crow Wing County): 10-fish bag limit on sunfish; regulation reviewed after 10 years to evaluate how well they provided quality sunfish for anglers.

MODIFIED REGULATIONS
Blackwater Lake (Cass County): Bass 14 to 20 inches must be released, one over 20 inches allowed in possession; currently there is a 12-inch maximum size limit on bass. The existing regulations worked to protect large bass; however, relaxing the regulations will allow more harvest opportunity while still protecting larger bass desired for quality angling.

Kabekona Lake (Hubbard County): Walleye 20 to 26 inches must be released, one longer than 26 inches allowed in a possession with a limit of four; regulation replaces the 18- to 26-inch protected slot limit that has been in place for the last 10 years. The walleye population in Kabekona has improved to the point that additional harvest opportunity can be provided by changing the regulation, which now will match the walleye regulation on Leech Lake, which is connected by  a navigable channel.

Mule Lake (Cass County): Bass 14 to 20 inches must be released, one over 20 inches allowed in possession; currently there is a 12-inch maximum size limit on bass. The existing regulations worked to protect large bass; however, relaxing the regulations will allow more harvest opportunity while still protecting larger bass desired for quality angling.

North Turtle Lake (Otter Tail County): Bass 14 to 20 inches must be released, with one fish longer than 20 inches allowed in a possession limit of six; regulation relaxed from the current 12- to 20-inch protected slot limit.

Pierz (Fish) Lake (Morrison County): Bass 14 to 20 inches must be released, with one fish longer than 20 inches allowed in a possession limit of six; regulation relaxed from the current 12- to 20-inch protected slot limit.

Rainy Lake (Koochiching and St. Louis counties): Walleye 18 to 26 inches must be released, one longer than 26 inches allowed in possession; regulation is relaxed from the previous 17- to 28-inch protected slot; bag limit remains four walleye. Change allows for more harvest opportunities while still protecting spawning-age fish. In recent years the slot limit on Rainy has consistently met objectives established for the regulation.

Vermillion River (Dakota County): Trout regulations will change in 2016 allowing for greater opportunity to harvest rainbow trout while further protecting a natural-reproducing population of trophy sized brown trout. Except for a 2-mile reach within the city of Farmington, the entire 19.5-mile-long special regulation zone has been managed with catch-and-release regulations for both species since 2006. However, starting next spring anglers will be able to harvest rainbow trout along the entire special regulation area. Brown trout, however, will gain additional protection as the entire special regulation zone will become catch-and-release only. Additionally, anglers will have a chance to fish for both brown and rainbow trout later into the fall with a catch and release season that extends angling through Oct. 15.

REGULATIONS TURNING PERMANENT
Battle Lake (Itasca County): Experimental regulations on sunfish will become permanent special regulations. Reduced bag limits of 10 sunfish were shown to have effectively maintained quality populations of sunfish. Also applies to nearby Deer and Pickerel lakes.

Crooked Lake (Stearns County): Bass regulations have shown to improve the sizes of bass and will become permanent.

Deer Lake (Itasca County): Experimental regulations on sunfish will become permanent special regulations. Reduced bag limits of 10 sunfish were shown to have effectively maintained quality populations of sunfish. Also applies to nearby Battle and Pickerel lakes.

Long Lake (Stearns County): Bass regulations have shown to improve the sizes of bass and will become permanent.

Pickerel Lake (Itasca County): Experimental regulations on sunfish will become permanent special regulations. Reduced bag limits of 10 sunfish were shown to have effectively maintained quality populations of sunfish. Also applies to nearby Battle and Deer lakes.

DROPPED REGULATIONS
Horseshoe Lake (Cass County): Special regulations on walleye, northern pike, bass and crappie will be dropped and return to the statewide regulation. Regulation objectives for improving populations for these species were not achieved, so special restrictions will be lifted. However, the existing five-fish bag limit restriction on sunfish is working to maintain quality sizes of sunfish, and the regulation will continue to be in place.

PUBLIC PROCESS
Special regulations that are specific to individual waters take precedence over statewide regulations. Special regulations can be found in their own section of the Minnesota Fishing Regulations booklet, at www.mndnr.gov/fishmn and are posted at public accesses.

Before changes are made, the DNR evaluates each regulation, shares what’s found in the evaluations and angler surveys, hosts public input meetings in the fall, and reviews comments from the public about the regulations. Goals of individual lake management plans also are considered.

“One goal of special regulations is to improve fish populations to make fishing better or more sustainable. So we need the public to tell us what they want for the process to be most effective, and we value that input,” Stevens said.

For more information on special or experimental fishing regulations, visit www.mndnr.gov/fishmn.

Rummage sale signs not permitted on state highway rights of way

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Placement of rummage sale signs and other unauthorized objects in state highway rights of way is prohibited under MN State Statute 160.27, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. In addition, rummage sale signs may not be placed on private property outside of the right of way limits without landowner consent.

Highway rights of way include the driving lanes, inside and outside shoulders, ditches, and sight corners at intersections.

MnDOT crews will remove any unlawfully placed signs and impound them at one of its local maintenance truck stations.

Violation of the law is a misdemeanor. Civil penalties also may apply if the placement of such material contributes to a motor vehicle crash and injures a person or damages a motor vehicle that runs off the road.

In addition, the Minnesota Outdoor Advertising Control Act (MN State Statute 173.15) prohibits erecting advertising devices on public utility poles, trees and shrubs, and painting or drawing on rocks or natural features.

MnDOT administers these laws in a fair and impartial manner. All signs, including: rummage, garage, yard, estate, realty, flea market, craft, produce, greenhouse and nursery sale are treated in the same way. Signs wrongly placed on state highway property by businesses, churches, private citizens or charitable groups will be removed.

For information regarding the proper placement of rummage sale signs or where to find signs that have been removed, contact your local MnDOT office:

Bemidji area- (218) 755-6500

Crookston area- (218) 277-7950

Thief River Falls area- (218) 683-8000

For more information on signs and other objects along highway right of way and MnDOT property, please visitwww.dot.state.mn.us/govrel/rw_signs.html.

Aquatic plant removal may require a permit

With lakes becoming ice-free and waters beginning to warm this spring, some lakeshore property owners may need a permit to remove aquatic plants from their shorelines.
“Each year we hear about property owners who get into trouble by removing aquatic plants,” said Steve Enger, supervisor of the aquatic plant management program for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We want people to know that a permit may be required to remove lake plants, which are essential components of freshwater ecosystems.”
The DNR’s aquatic plant regulations are summarized online at www.mndnr.gov/shorelandmgmt/apg/regulations.html.

“There are very specific situations and requirements that mandate when someone needs a permit to remove aquatic plants,” Enger said. “That’s why we encourage property owners to consult the regulations online to see if they need a permit.”

Aquatic plants provide food and shelter for fish and wildlife. They stabilize the lake environment, and help maintain water clarity by limiting the availability of nutrients and preventing suspension of bottom sediments. These plants also protect shorelines from erosion by absorbing wave and ice energy. A healthy aquatic plant community is a critical component to maintaining the high quality lakes that Minnesotans value.

“We love to fish, boat and enjoy time on the water in Minnesota,” Enger said. “Many of the features we enjoy most about lakes are directly linked to healthy aquatic vegetation. That’s why we want to work with property owners to answer their questions about what is allowed when it comes to plant removal on their shorelines.”

A guide to aquatic plants and information on aquatic plant regulations is available on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/shorelandmgmt/apg/regulations.html, or by calling 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367.

DNR announces new special angling regulations

Angling regulations will change on nearly three dozen waters this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
 
Among the changes: Anglers will see more restrictive walleye regulations in and around Saganaga Lake in Cook County. Lake Winnibigoshish will have a relaxed, or narrower, protected slot limit for walleye. And northern pike special regulations will be removed on Big Birch Lake in Todd County.

Changed and new special and experimental regulations will be posted at public accesses on affected lakes and become effective March 1, except for those involving Sand Lake in Itasca County and connected waters, which will be effective in 2016.

New regulations
Saganaga, Sea Gull, and Gull lakes (Cook County) and connected waters – Walleye will have a 17-inch minimum length restriction and a bag limit of three established to protect small walleye to make the most of limited production of those fish from natural reproduction or stocking. Fish managers have been concerned for several years about low numbers of young walleye seen in these lakes, and the possibility that without some protection, those low numbers would result in even lower numbers of adult fish, with further reductions in spawning success. Effects of this regulation will be studied for the next 10 years, and will be reviewed with the public in 2024.
Sauk River chain of lakes (Stearns County) – Anglers will have an expanded opportunity to harvest channel catfish, which became established in the late 1970s and since have become very abundant. A bag limit of 10, but with only one of the 10 longer than 24 inches, is to provide the opportunity for more harvest yet still provide a healthy population of catfish.
Lake George (Hubbard County) – Bass will have a protected slot limit of 14-to 20-inches, with one longer than 20 inches allowed in a possession limit of six. The lake has a healthy population of bass shorter than 15 inches but fewer larger bass compared to other nearby lakes and the regulation is designed to boost numbers of larger bass.
Sand Lake (Itasca County) and connected waters (Birdseye, Portage and Little Sand lakes) –Starting in May of 2016, walleye will have a 17- to 26-inch protected slot limit with one fish longer than 26 inches allowed in a possession limit of six. This experimental regulation is intended to increase abundance of spawning-age walleye, stabilize reproduction, and end boom-and-bust cycles of fishing success for walleye. The regulation will be monitored for 10 years and its effect on walleye and fishing will be reviewed with the public in 2025.
Modified regulations
Lake Winnibigoshish – Walleye will have an 18- to 23-inch protected slot, with only one longer than 23 inches, relaxed from the previous 17- to 26-inch protected slot. This is to allow for more harvest opportunities while still maintaining protection to spawning-age fish. In recent years the slot limit on Winnibigoshish has consistently met objectives established for the regulation.
Clitherall and Sewell lakes (Otter Tail County) – On Clitherall Lake, smallmouth bass will have 14- to 20-inch protected slot limit with one longer than 20 inches allowed in a possession of six. This regulation replaces the catch and release regulation that has been in place for the last 10 years. The regulation for largemouth and smallmouth bass on Sewell Lake has also been changed to a 14- to 20-inch protected slot limit.  This replaces the 12- to 20-inch protected slot limit. Both lakes have quality populations of bass but managers believe these lakes can sustain quality fish while allowing additional harvest for bass shorter than 14 inches.
Big Mantrap (Hubbard County) – Black crappie will no longer have a 10-inch minimum length restriction but will continue to have a restricted bag limit of five. The minimum length limit was determined to be ineffective at increasing the size of crappie in Big Mantrap Lake.
Dropped regulations
Special or experimental regulations will be dropped on four waters and return to statewide or border waters regulations.

Regulation objectives for improving northern pike in Big Birch Lake in Todd County; walleye and sunfish in Cottonwood Lake in Grant County; and sunfish in Mississippi River navigation pools 5, 5a, and 8 on Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters were not achieved, so special or experimental restrictions will be lifted. 

For similar reasons, on Jewett and Pickerel lakes in Otter Tail County, bass regulations will return to statewide limits.
Regulations turning permanent
Three lakes that have had experimental or temporary emergency regulations will become permanent special regulations. Reduced bag limits of five sunfish on Pimushe Lake in Beltrami County and 10 sunfish on Star Lake in Otter Tail County were shown to have effectively maintained quality populations of sunfish. 

The temporary catch-and-release regulation for a genetically unique population of lake trout in Mukooda Lake in St. Louis County was made a special regulation to conserve these fish for further study. On nearby Little Trout Lake, which also has a unique genetic population, there will be a new catch-and-release regulation for lake trout. Both lakes are accessible in Voyageurs National Park and anglers may travel through these lakes with lake trout legally harvested on other waters.

In most years, the DNR reviews the effectiveness of some existing regulations and also considers proposals for new regulations. After evaluating information collected from lake and angler surveys, the department takes public input before making decisions based on management goals. For more information, see www.mndnr.gov/fishmn.

Sturgeon fishing expands under proposed rules

A statewide catch-and-release season for sturgeon is among several rule changes proposed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Now, there are only a few waters in the state where anglers can legally fish for sturgeon.

New rules would also affect those who fish for trout and bass, among other species.

“This is the first time in a long time that seasons for major angling species have been changed,” said Linda Erickson-Eastwood, DNR fisheries program manager. “We made the changes based on sound data analysis. They will continue to provide high-quality fishing and additional fishing opportunities.”

The DNR is accepting comments on the proposed rules. Rulemaking documents are available at www.mndnr.gov/input/rules/fisheries/statewide.html. The proposed changes include but are not limited to:

GAME FISH REGULATIONS 

• New statewide catch-and-release seasons for bass and sturgeon.
• Close the taking of flathead catfish during the winter.

TROUT LAKE REGULATIONS

• Open trout lakes in Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing and Hubbard counties to winter trout fishing.
• Little Andrus (Snowshoe Lake) in Cass County; Allen and Pleasant lakes in Crow Wing County; and Bad Medicine Lake in Becker County will remain closed to winter fishing.

OTHER

• Require a barb on arrows used for bowfishing.
• Open Spring Lake in Itasca County to whitefish netting.
• Restrictions placed on where nets can be placed for smelting on Grindstone Lake.
• For border waters, changes simplify, provide additional opportunities, make rules consistent with the Minnesota inland regulations, or make consistent with bordering government regulations, as well as clarify the no-culling rule.

The DNR intends to adopt the rule changes without a public hearing unless 25 signatures requesting a hearing are received. Submit requests for a hearing in writing by 4:30 p.m. Friday, July 18. Send comments or questions on the rules or written requests for a public hearing to Linda Erickson-Eastwood, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155.

Statewide bass season opens May 24

Anglers can catch and keep bass starting Saturday, May 24. Anglers can generally keep six largemouth and smallmouth bass combined. A guide to telling the difference between the two can be found on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website at www.mndnr.gov/fish/bass.

Some bodies of water have special regulations for bass. To find special regulations, use the DNR LakeFinder function at the Fish Minnesota site, www.mndnr.gov/fishmn. To buy a fishing license, visit any DNR license agent, buy online via mobile or desktop at www.mndnr.gov/buyalicense, or call 888-665-4236.

After the bass opener, next up for anglers is the muskie opener on Saturday, June 7.

Aquatic plant removal may require a permit

Shoreline property owners may need a permit from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to remove aquatic plants, which serve important functions in lakes and rivers.

By taking due care, property owners can avoid harming a nearby lake or river, and DNR staff can help answer questions about what’s allowed, said Steve Enger, supervisor of the DNR’s aquatic plant management program.

“Aquatic plants prevent shoreline erosion, stabilize bottom sediments, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and tie up nutrients that might otherwise grow algae,” Enger said. “We encourage shoreline property owners to disturb as little near-shore vegetation as possible. Removing too many aquatic plants can impair their ability to provide these important functions.”

Property owners sometimes do not need permits for smaller-scale removal of plants for recreational reasons such as swimming or boat docking. However, permits are generally required for more intensive plant removal. And some removal methods are not allowed.

AQUATIC PLANT REMOVAL WITHOUT PERMIT

Shoreline property owners can, without a DNR permit, mechanically control a modest area of aquatic plants. However, regulations vary slightly on submerged vegetation compared to floating leaf vegetation.

Managing submerged vegetation like pondweeds, watermilfoil or coontail by cutting, pulling, raking, or harvesting the vegetation is allowed under the following conditions:

• The cleared area may not exceed 2,500 square feet.
• The cleared area may not extend more than 50 feet along the shore, or more than one half the frontage width, whichever is less.
• If the cleared area does not reach open water, a 15-foot wide channel to open water may be added.
• The cut or pulled vegetation must be removed from the water.

Managing floating leaf vegetation like white or yellow water-lilies by cutting or pulling is allowed for property owners looking to clear a 15-foot-wide channel extending to open water, under the following conditions:

• The cleared channel must remain in the same place from year to year.
• The vegetation that is cut or pulled must be removed from the water.

AQUATIC PLANT REMOVAL PERMIT REQUIRED

A DNR aquatic plant management permit is required, for a $35 fee, if plans include the following:

• Using herbicides or algicides.
• Removing emergent vegetation, like bulrush, cattails or wild rice. Emergent plants are rooted in the lake or river bottom, but their leaves and stems extend out of the water.
• Installing or operating an automated plant control device, such as the Crary WeedRoller, BeachGroomer or Lake Sweeper.
• Removing floating leaf vegetation, in an area larger than a 15 foot wide channel (see above).
• Controlling submerged vegetation in an area wider than one-half the width of your frontage or 50 feet, whichever is less (see above).
• Removing or relocating a bog of any size.

NOT ALLOWED 
These activities are not allowed by DNR aquatic plant management regulations:

• Excavating the lake bottom for aquatic plant control.
• Use of hydraulic jets.
• Using lake-bottom barriers to destroy or prevent the growth of aquatic plants.
• Removing aquatic vegetation within posted fish-spawning areas.
• Removing aquatic plants from undeveloped shoreline.

For more information, see the DNR website at www.dnr.state.mn.us/shorelandmgmt/apg/regulations.html, or call
651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367.

Upper Red Lake’s summer walleye regulations unchanged for 2014

Regulations that allow Upper Red Lake anglers to keep larger walleye after June 15 will be in effect again for the 2014 open water season, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Beginning Saturday, May 10, to Saturday, June 14, anglers must release all walleye 17- to 26-inches long.

Effective Sunday, June 15 to Sunday, Nov. 30, anglers may keep walleye less than 20 inches and must immediately release all walleye 20- to 26-inches long.

The possession limit for both periods is four fish and only one of those fish can be longer than 26 inches.

The more restrictive size limit is necessary for the early season when angler catch rates are high and mature walleye are extremely vulnerable. As the open water season progresses, catch rates and fishing pressure decline, reducing the impact of harvesting larger walleye.

Winter regulations will not be finalized until open water harvest is determined. Winter regulations will be announced in late summer and will be posted on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/fishingregs.   

Illegal deer baiting on the rise; penalties stressed

As the number of citations issued for deer baiting has reached an all-time high, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds Minnesota deer hunters to review regulations before heading to the field this fall.

Changes in the regulations last year affect penalties for deer baiting, which continues to plague the sport. “We’re seeing increased numbers of convictions for deer baiting while at the same time the penalties have increased,” said Col. Ken Soring, DNR enforcement director.

Deer baiting is placing food near deer stands or clearings with the intent of luring a deer into close shooting range. It has been illegal to bait deer in Minnesota since 1991.

DNR conservation officers issued 166 citations and 49 warnings while confiscating 135 firearms and bows during the 2012 bow, firearms and muzzleloader big game seasons. It’s the highest number of baiting citations and confiscations issued during the deer hunting seasons since the DNR began tracking these violations in 1991.

“It was apparent that a fine and forfeiture of a firearm or bow was not enough to curtail the activity,” Soring said. “In order to show the seriousness of the offense, hunters are also subject to license revocation when convicted of baiting deer.”

The penalties for baiting include:

A person may not obtain any deer license or take deer under a lifetime license 1 year after the person is convicted of hunting deer with the aid or use of bait. The DNR’s Electronic Licensing System (ELS) will also block a person’s ability to buy a license. A second conviction within 3 years would result in a 3-year revocation.

The revocation period doubles if the conviction is for a deer that is a trophy deer scoring higher than 170 inches.

Soring reminds hunters it is illegal to take deer with the aid or use of bait and encourages hunters to direct their efforts towards traditional and ethical hunting techniques like scouting for the best hunting locations. Enjoy a safe hunt that includes fair chase as a part of a proud hunting heritage in Minnesota.

Bait includes grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, hay, or other food capable of attracting or enticing deer and has been placed by an individual.

Liquid scents (example: doe in heat), sprays, salts, and mineral are not bait if they do not contain liquid or solid food products.

“Read the ingredient label on all products prior to use since many products contain food or attractants such as grains, fruits, and sugar derivatives,” Soring said. He added if a salt or mineral product has anything other than salt or mineral in it, it is illegal to use for hunting.

“There are still people who think that just because they can buy an attractant off the shelf, then it must be legal in the state. It is not. Read the label carefully before making your purchase,” Soring said.

Public invited to comment on experimental fishing regulations

Reviews of existing or newly proposed regulations on 22 lakes for walleye, yellow perch, largemouth bass, crappie, sunfish and muskellunge will be the subject of seven public meetings conducted across the state in the coming weeks by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The meetings will include reviews of walleye regulations on Leech Lake; largemouth bass regulations on Cass County’s Stony and Thirteen lakes; a catch-and-release muskellunge regulation on Clearwater County’s Elk Lake; walleye regulations on the Fish Lake Reservoir near Duluth; a 17- to 26-inch protected slot for walleye on 12 Itasca County lakes; and panfish regulations on five Rochester-area waters.

The goal of experimental and special regulations on individual waters is to expand opportunities for anglers to experience quality fishing that can be sustained in light of increasing angling pressure and improved angler efficiency. During the past 26 years, fisheries managers have monitored a variety of regulations across Minnesota.

“Much has been learned from our efforts to improve fish populations with length and bag limits,” said Al Stevens, DNR fisheries program consultant. “If experimental regulations are successful, then regulations can be replicated on similar waters where fisheries managers and anglers agree they would help improve or maintain quality fishing.”

Experimental regulations are in effect for a specific period of time, typically 10 years. Before the regulation ends, fish managers must evaluate the regulation and then gather input from public meetings to help determine whether to extend, modify or drop the existing experimental regulations.

“Fisheries managers welcome the opportunity to hear opinions from anglers,” Stevens said.  “Public participation is critical in determining whether proposed and existing regulations are meeting angler expectations.”  

Waters being evaluated this year were posted at public access points in the spring. Public notices for each meeting will be published in local newspapers. For more information about a specific meeting, check online at www.mndnr.gov/fishing/meetings or contact the local DNR Fisheries office using the online listing at www.mndnr.gov/areas/fisheries.

Written or verbal comments also will be accepted at local fisheries offices up to 10 days following a local meeting. Telephone numbers and addresses of local fisheries offices can be found online at online at www.mndnr.gov/areas/fisheries or on page 94 of the 2013 Fishing Regulations handbook.

For those unable to attend a local meeting, there will be an open house at DNR headquarters, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. No formal presentations will be made but fisheries staff will be available to take comments on any proposal. Comments will be accepted through Monday, Oct. 7, and also may be submitted by email to al.stevens@state.mn.us or by calling 651-259-5239.

Open houses, which can be viewed on the DNR website by following the angler alert link at www.mndnr.gov/fishing, are scheduled for: 

• Cass County: Largemouth bass regulations on Stony and Thirteen lakes will be reviewed from 6-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at Walker Area Community Center, 105 Tower Ave. E.
• Clearwater County: The catch-and-release regulation for muskellunge on Elk Lake will be reviewed from 6- 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26, at Douglas Lodge in Itasca State Park.
• Itasca County: Implementing a 17- to 26-inch protected slot limit for walleye on Bowstring, Sand and Jessie lakes and reviewing that protected slot on Swan, Trout (near Coleraine), Splithand, Moose, Island (near Northome), Round (near Squaw Lake), and Deer/Battle/Pickerel (near Effie) will be discussed at two meetings. The first will be from 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the Squaw Lake Community Center on Minnesota Highway 46 in Squaw Lake. The second will be from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in the training room at Minnesota Interagency Fire Center, 402 11th St. SE, Grand Rapids.
• Leech Lake: Relaxing the existing 18- to 26-inch protected slot limit for walleye to a
  20- to 26-inch protected slot will be discussed from 6- 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, at Walker Area Community Center, 105 Tower Ave. E.
• Olmsted County: Restricting the daily and possession limit for sunfish, black crappie, white crappie, yellow perch, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass on Bear Creek Reservoir, Foster-Arend Pond, Kalmar Reservoir, Quarry Hill Pond, and Willow Reservoir will be discussed from 1-3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at Rochester DNR office, 3555 9th St. NW, Suite 350.
• St. Louis County: The 13- to 17-inch protected slot for walleye on the Fish Lake Reservoir will be reviewed from 6-7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 14. Contact the Duluth area fisheries office at 218-525-0853 or check on the DNR website at www.mndnr.gov/fishing and follow the angler alert link for meeting location.