Guide is one way to help bolster bait supply in the state
An online guide aims to help Minnesota minnow producers increase golden shiner production to meet angler demand in the state.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources partnered with Minnesota Sea Grant, minnow producers and Central Lakes College to evaluate methods to enhance operations and increase production of golden shiners. A Guide for Increasing Production of Golden Shiner for Use as Bait in Minnesota summarizes results from a three-year demonstration project conducted from 2022 through 2024. The guide is available on the Sea Grant website. A golden shiner workshop is planned for 2027 to discuss the project results with regulators and producers.
“The Minnesota DNR is excited about the results of the project,” said Sean Sisler, DNR fisheries aquatic commercial programs consultant. “The guide outlines strategies for producing golden shiners in several ways and is a great example of a public-private partnership that supports increased production of these high-demand minnows in Minnesota.”
Topics covered in the guide include system design, stocking rates, feeding regimens, water quality, fish growth, survival, production and lessons learned from each strategy. It can help producers develop facility plans, budgets and business plans and identify questions to consider before starting or expanding an operation.
Golden shiners are a popular baitfish in Minnesota and production within the state has not kept up with angler demand. However, importing these minnows into the state is prohibited to prevent new introductions of aquatic invasive species, diseases, parasites and other pathogens. Increasing golden shiner production within Minnesota is a priority to meet the demand. Additionally, the Minnesota DNR raised golden shiners at the New London hatchery as part of the project and began using the golden shiners produced as forage for yearling muskellunge raised there.
Additional information about bait supply in Minnesota and a note about the golden shiner project can be found in the 2024 DNR legislative report Ensuring a Viable Minnesota Grown Bait Supply.
The project was funded by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. The National Sea Grant Office provided additional funding.
Other Minnesota DNR efforts related to bait supply include:
- Formation of a Commercial Minnow Fisheries Work Group, created by the Minnesota DNR to increase communication between minnow stakeholders and the DNR. Members of the work group raise, sell, or use minnows commercially in Minnesota.
- Implementation of projects evaluating minnow harvest from infested waters while minimizing the transfer risk of zebra mussels.
- Watershed-based viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus surveillance testing to maintain VHSV-free waterbodies and zones.
- Work with minnow harvesters to review types of harvest gear and configurations and make recommendations to update gear regulations.
For more information on regulations and licensing related to aquaculture and minnows, visit the Minnesota DNR website, or call 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367.