392 Highway 11 East
International Falls, MN 56649
218-286-5220
[email protected]
Anglers who fish in Koochiching and northern St. Louis county areas benefit from the management, habitat and oversight work of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' International Falls area fisheries staff.
Area Fisheries Supervisor Kevin Peterson and a full-time staff of four manage 135 fishing lakes and hundreds of miles of rivers and streams. These waters include popular fishi
ng lakes such as Rainy, Kabetogama and Pelican (near Orr) and the Rainy River. The Iakes of Voyageurs National Park also lie within the International Falls fisheries management area.
- What we do
At work for you
Fisheries researchers measure and tag a walleye on the Rat Root River in an effort to learn more about spawning areas.
- Managing eight lakes for lake trout. Two are stocked every other year with lake trout yearlings.
- Stocking approximately 14 lakes regularly with walleye fingerlings or fry.
- Stocking three designated trout streams annually with brook trout including Lost River, Fawn Creek and Kinmount Creek.
- Managing Ash and Elephant lakes as quality northern pike fisheries with protected slot limits.
- Managing Pelican Lake for a quality bass fishery with a protected slot limit.
- Collaborating with the Rainy Lake Sportfishing Club to enhance the walleye fishery of Rainy Lake. This includes such things as walleye tagging on the Rat Root River to learn more about walleye spawning habits on Rainy Lake, which helps identify spawning areas on the Rat Root River for potential enhancement.
- Area highlights
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.This regulation change is effective March 1, 2016.
- Lake Sturgeon Weight Estimate
- Rainy Lake Walleye study
- International Falls fisheries management work
- Rainy River Spring Fishery
- Mukooda Lake Genetics Research
- Fish fillet regulations
- Rat Root Sampling Update 2013
- Lake Sturgeon study
- Whitefish, Cisco and Mooneye identification
- Stocking - Check the LakeFinder
- Surveys - Check the LakeFinder
- Area staff
Contact our International Falls staff
Name
Position
Phone
Email
Kevin Peterson Area supervisor 218-286-5220 [email protected] Vacant Assistant area supervisor - - Ben Vondra Large lake specialist 218-286-5220 [email protected] Dan Schermerhorn Fisheries specialist 218-286-5220 [email protected] Andrew Moran Office & administrative specialist 218-286-5220 [email protected]