Minnesota fisheries

Mille Lacs Lake is closed to walleye fishing for the month of July, with the anticipation of a fall walleye season ahead.

Working with local anglers and the community in March, the Department of Natural Resources determined a July closure would provide the best chance for walleye fishing this fall by reducing walleye mortality when water temperatures are the warmest.

Even with the good walleye fishing Mille Lacs anglers have experienced this year, the state has not exceeded its allocation.

In addition to not targeting walleye, Mille Lacs Lake anglers cannot use most live baits for any species in July. The exceptions are sucker minnows greater than 8 inches in length for targeting northern pike and muskellunge and wax worms for panfish and perch.

The closure and live bait ban is the result of record ice fishing pressure this past winter that resulted in a harvest of almost 30,000 pounds of walleye. July was selected for the closure because it’s generally the period when warm water temperatures cause the highest rates of hooking mortality.

An unplanned closure would be triggered if the state reaches its share of the safe harvest amount agreed upon by the state and eight Ojibwe nations that have treaty fishing rights on Mille Lacs. Through May 31, state-licensed anglers had harvested 34,718 pounds of their 87,800-pound walleye allocation for the 2020 season.

Catch-and-release walleye fishing is scheduled to re-open on Saturday, Aug. 1, and continue through Monday, Nov. 30.

Mille Lacs continues to offer anglers excellent northern pike, bass and muskellunge fishing.

Anyone who finds several or more dead fish in a lake or stream can help by reporting these fish die-offs.

Fish die-offs happen occasionally and usually result from natural causes. People should call the state duty officer at 651‐649‐5451 or 800‐422‐0798 to report fish die-offs.

Doing so provides a single point of contact for the incident. The point of contact is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week. An early report also allows timely water samples or other response actions to be taken if needed.

If there is an immediate threat to life or property, call 911 first. For general information requests, people can also contact area DNR fisheries offices, but this is not the best way to report fish kills.

Bass fishing season is open and this is a great time to cast a line for these fun-to-catch fish.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass can be easier to catch in spring and early summer when they spend more time in shallow water. Later, as water temperatures rise, bass move to deeper water in search of sunken points, rocky humps and aquatic plant edges that offer protection from larger fish and hiding places for prey. Learn more about how to fish for bass and other species at the DNR’s learn to fish webpage.

Lakeshore property owners are reminded that a permit may be required to remove aquatic plants.

Aquatic plants provide food and shelter for fish, ducks and other wildlife. They also stabilize the lake bottom, which helps maintain water clarity, and protect shorelines from erosion by absorbing energy from waves and ice.

Additionally, the DNR frequently receives questions about devices that generate water current to blast muck and plants away. They have various trade names, but the DNR refers to these devices generically as hydraulic jets. Even though you can buy one, they cannot be used in any way that disturbs the bottom of the lake or uproots plants.

Specific regulations govern what situations require permits for aquatic plant removal. Regulations and a guide to aquatic plants can be found on the DNR website.

Anglers can find regional fishing reports that include details about waters throughout each region.

Each year in preparation for fishing opener, the DNR posts these reports, and they go into detail about what anglers can expect this year from lakes all across the state.