Mille Lacs Lake walleye limit stays at 2 fish for this winter
Walleye fish caught in a trap at a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources egg collection and fertilization station on the Pine River in Crow Wing County, Minn., await their separation into male and female groups. Females are then stripped of their
MILLE LACS, Minn. (FOX 9) - Ice anglers will be able to keep two walleyes on Mille Lacs Lake this winter.
What we know
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on Wednesday announced it has retained the two-walleye limit on the popular lake for the winter season, which runs from Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, through Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.
RELATED: Upper Red Lake walleye limit stays at 4 fish this winter
Licensed ice anglers can keep two walleye that are 18-20 inches long or one walleye that's 18-20 inches long and one walleye that's longer than 28 inches, the DNR says.
What the DNR is saying
"Mille Lacs’ walleye population is trending in a good direction for both adult and juvenile fish," said Brad Parsons, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries section manager. "Juvenile perch and tullibee, important forage species for walleye, also are abundant."
A more liberal limit
This is a continuation of a more liberal walleye limit the DNR implemented last fall, the DNR said. The DNR based its decision on this fall's Mille Lacs nesting assessment, which showed higher walleye abundance than in 2023. It also showed strong numbers of juvenile fish that are expected to contribute to the fishery in the future.
Anglers share the Mille Lacs Lake harvest with Ojibwe tribes that retain treaty fishing rights. The total harvest for the fishing year is set through agreements between the state and tribes.
As of Sept. 30, anglers have harvested 29,891 of the 91,550 pounds of walleye they are allocated for the 2024 fishing season.
You can find the DNR's Mille Lacs Lake fishing regulations here.