FILE PHOTO: A male walleye fish. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is changing its regulations for the winter walleye season at Upper Red Lake.
Effective Tuesday, Nov. 1, anglers will have a three-walleye bag limit, with only one walleye longer than 17 inches in possession. The change comes after a fall fisheries assessment on the Red Lakes found the walleye population is at a healthy, sustainable level.
The winter regulation on Upper Red Lake is based on the abundance of mature female walleye in what the DNR calls, "optimal condition."
The fall numbers indicate a regulation that allows a moderate amount of harvest is appropriate to maintain spawning stock at a level that's both sustainable and promotes the consistent success of new year classes.
In the winter of 2021, the walleye bag limit was four. This was to reduce surplus spawning stock to a new level that's more likely to encourage the success of young fish and relieve some pressure off the walleye population's primary forage, yellow perch.
The Red Lake Nation and the Minnesota DNR manage the walleye harvest on Red Lake, under a joint harvest plan.