SE MN Trout and Other Fishing

Permanent rule package
Fish Rules

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources requests comments on its planned rule amendments governing various fish and aquatic matters.  The department has not yet prepared a draft of the planned rules. Comments submitted will be considered in drafting the rules. Comments may be submitted until 4:30 pm on February 11, 2013

Rulemaking documents:
Request for comment published in the December 10, 2012 addition of the State Register (www.comm.media.state.mn.us).

 

Agency Contact person:

Linda Erickson-Eastwood
Department of Natural Resources
500 Lafayette Road, Box 20
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155-4020
Email: linda.erickson-eastwood@state.mn.us
Telephone: (651) 259-5206 or 1-888-MINNDNR

Among the changes to be considered are the following.

Trout regulations

  1. Remove all barbless regulations in all trout seasons on all trout streams in southeast Minnesota (SE MN). 
  2. Bring all designated trout streams in southeast Minnesota into the current winter season ("new catch-and-release season").
  3. Allow angling (catch-and-release) on designated trout streams in SE MN State Parks ("state park season") from October 15th to December 31st. 
  4. SE MN stream reaches with gear restrictions during the regular season should follow those gear restrictions in all other seasons. 
  5. Extend the current fall catch-and-release season to October 15th.
  6. Open some lakes in Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing, and Hubbard counties to winter trout fishing

Other Game Fish Regulations

  1. Open or close whitefish netting or put restrictions on this activity to control the spread of invasive species
  2. Smelting on Grindstone
  3. Flathead catfish winter regulations
  4. Sturgeon regulations

Border Waters

  1. Assess regulations to simplify, provide additional opportunities, or make consistent with the bordering state’s regulations

Others

  1. Remove obsolete and redundant rules.