DNR tightens open water fishing regulations for Upper Red Lake
Mar. 14—ST. PAUL — Anglers fishing Upper Red Lake will have a three-walleye possession limit, with only one walleye longer than 17 inches allowed, during the 2024 open-water season that starts May 11, the Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday, March 13. Beginning June 15, the limit will change to a four-walleye possession limit, with only one walleye longer than 17 inches allowed.
"This fishing regulation is a reflection of the lake's popularity, especially when fishing is good," Edie Evarts, area fisheries supervisor for the DNR in Bemidji, said in a news release. "We've opted for a slightly more conservative bag limit for the early part of the summer to maintain the long-term health of the fishery and keep Upper Red Lake a premier angling destination."
Anglers harvested an estimated 166,000 pounds of walleyes this winter — a record high — on state waters of Upper Red, Evarts told the Herald. Because the state has an annual walleye "target harvest" of 120,000 pounds to 240,000 pounds, given current spawning stock, as part of an agreement with the Red Lake Nation, the DNR opted for a lower daily limit during the first month of the open water season — when catch rates and angler effort are highest — to ensure the harvest stays within target levels.
Increasing the possession limit by one fish starting June 15 will allow additional angling harvest opportunity while maintaining a healthy walleye population. Summer fishing pressure on Upper Red drops off after mid June, Evarts said.
This year's winter harvest was more than double the winter of 2022-23, when anglers kept about 82,000 pounds of walleyes in state waters of Upper Red, Evarts said. Deep snow and poor access conditions made it difficult for anglers to get around last winter.
Anglers harvested about 226,000 pounds of walleyes between the winter of 2022-23 and summer of 2023 harvest seasons, Evarts said, a tally that falls within the target harvest. Anglers during the summer of 2023 were allowed to keep five walleyes, with one over 17 inches.
This past winter, anglers on Upper Red were allowed to keep up to four walleyes, with one longer than 17 inches, during the season that closed Feb. 25. Anglers in February harvested about 30,000 pounds more walleyes than they do in a typical February, Evarts said, which bumped up the winter harvest.
"That's usually lower than January," she said. "The bite's just good — there's a lot of young fish out there. I don't know why February turned them back on. That's very unusual.
"The fishery is in really good shape," Evarts added. "It's just mainly because we had that higher-than-expected harvest in the winter we've got to ratchet back a little. It's not because the fishery is in poor shape, it's because we have that agreement and we want to make sure we meet that."
Walleye management on Red Lake is a collaborative effort between Red Lake Nation and the Minnesota DNR, governed by a joint harvest plan revised by the Red Lakes Fisheries Technical Committee in 2015. Winter harvest regulations for 2024-2025 will be determined after the summer fishing season and completion of fall assessment netting.
The Upper Red Lake Citizen Advisory Committee reviews walleye harvest totals and regulation options and provides recommendations for the state waters of Upper Red Lake. Upper Red Lake fishing regulations are available on the Minnesota DNR fishing regulations page at
mndnr.gov/fishing/upper-red-lake-regulations.html
.
Anglers are reminded to protect Upper Red Lake and all Minnesota waters from aquatic invasive species by cleaning and draining watercraft and equipment and disposing of unwanted bait in the trash. A decontamination station is available at the Tamarac River Big Bog Public Water Access, referred to locally as Homestead Park.
