The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will hold an open house to collect public comments and share information on a proposal to improve angling opportunities on several waters in Wright and Stearns counties, by reducing daily limits for sunfish.
The open house will be 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Clearwater Township Hall, 15015 State Highway 24 NW, Clearwater.
On Clearwater Lake and connected Augusta, Caroline, Grass and Otter lakes, the daily limit for crappie would be lowered from 10 fish to five and the sunfish daily limit would be lowered from 20 fish to 10. The reduced daily limit would help maintain and protect the current size structures of the crappie and sunfish populations in these lakes. It would also have the potential to increase the average size of sunfish.
In addition to the Sept. 27 open house, there will be a statewide open house to accept comments on these and other proposed regulations, listed on the Minnesota DNR website, from 1-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at the DNR Central Office, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul.
If adopted, the proposed regulations will go into effect March 1, 2024.
Comments about regulation changes being proposed can also be made online by visiting the Minnesota DNR website and taking the online survey. In addition, comments about the proposal can be directed to the DNR Sauk Rapids fisheries office at 320-223-7867, emailing [email protected], or by filling out the online survey. Written comments can be sent to DNR Sauk Rapids area fisheries, 1035 South Benton Drive, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379. Comments will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 13.