Whitefish and cisco sport gill netting

Basic regulations

  • Whitefish and cisco (also known as tullibee) netting is open to Minnesota residents only.
  • Participants must be in possession of a valid Minnesota angling license and the $10 netting license.
  • Only one gill net, not exceeding 100 feet in length and 3 feet in width, may be used by a netter at any given time.
  • One end of net must have a pole, stake or buoy projecting at least two feet above the water or ice surface.
  • Nets must have an identification tag attached near the first float of the end projecting from the water/ice.
  • Identification tags must be at least 2½ inches by 5/8 inch and permanently bear the net owner’s name and address.
  • Nets may not be set or lifted between sunset and sunrise.
  • All gill nets must be tended at least every 24 hours and can only be set and lifted by the licensee.
  • Nets may not be set in any water deeper than 6 feet and cannot be set within 50 feet of another net.
  • Minimum gill net mesh size varies among lakes and is detailed in the schedules listed.
Additional regulations
  • A person may not have angling equipment in possession while netting.
  • Native rough fish, as defined by Minnesota Statute 97A.015, Subd. 43, and common carp caught in the net may be retained. All other non-target fish taken while netting must be returned to the water immediately.
  • Nets used in waters infested by spiny water fleas and/or zebra mussels may not be used in any other waters.
  • Additional lakes now have net restrictions due to spiny water flea and/or zebra mussel presence. Please be sure to verify if net restrictions apply to any lake you plan to net.
  • Nets used in waters designated infested by other species (not spiny water fleas and/or zebra mussels) must be dried for a minimum of 10 days or frozen for two days before using in a different water body.
  • Please verify if the lake you plan to net is designated as infested.
  • Your net should be transported in a sealed container.
  • Whitefish and cisco taken by sport gill netting may not be bought, sold or used as bait.
  • Within the Leech Lake Reservation, the possession limits are 25 whitefish and 50 cisco.
  • Net placement should not inhibit use of the lake by other boaters.
Netting dates

The waters listed in Schedule I may be open this year. Net harvest allowances in Schedule I lakes varies from year-to-year based on assessments of game fish abundance; climatic conditions that affect the vulnerability of game fish to accidental harvest; and abundance of Whitefish and Cisco.

Schedule II water bodies exhibit less variability and are opened and closed on a pre-determined schedule. Unless otherwise noted, the names of the bodies of water refer to lakes.

Schedule I water bodies

All water bodies listed in this schedule are to be opened and closed on a 48-hour notice posted at the lake accesses and other public places. Lakes in bold and marked with asterisk (*) are designated infested with spiny water fleas and/or zebra mussels (see footnote about net use in these lakes).

Lakes

The table below indicates the minimum mesh size (based on stretch measures) allowed on each lake.

NameCounty3.5" Net1.75" NetContactOpensCloses
Basswood*LakeXTowerTBATBA
Bear IslandSt. LouisXTowerTBATBA
DeerItascaXGrand RapidsTBATBA
Devil Track*CookXGrand MaraisTBATBA
Fall*LakeXTowerTBATBA
Newton*LakeXTowerTBATBA
OjibwayLakeXTowerTBATBA
Poplar*CookXGrand MaraisTBATBA
Shagawa*St. LouisXTowerTBATBA
StraightBeckerXPark RapidsTBATBA
Turtle*ItascaXGrand RapidsTBATBA
Vermilion* 1St. LouisXTowerTBATBA
* Nets used in spiny water fleas and/or zebra mussel infested waters are not to be used in any other waterbody.
1 Vermilion includes the entire lake except Pike Bay, south and west of a north-south line at narrowest portion between Echo Point and Punchers Point.
Schedule II water bodies

Schedule II waters are open based on the three netting schedules: Oct.17-Dec.14, Nov. 7- Dec. 14 and Nov. 14-Dec. 14.

Lakes marked with an asterisk (*) are infested with spiny water fleas and/or zebra mussels. Nets used in these lakes cannot be used in any other waterbody.

Lakes

The table below indicates the minimum mesh size allowed (based on stretch measures) on each lake.

NameCounty3.5" Net1.75" NetOpen dates
Ball Club*ItascaX11/7-12/14
Balsam, BigItascaX11/7-12/14
Bass*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
Bass (north basin & Snyder Bay to the narrows)ItascaX11/7-12/14
BeltramiBeltramiX11/7-12/14
Bemidji, LittleBeckerX11/7-12/14
Benedict*HubbardX11/7-12/14
Black Bear*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
BlackduckBeltramiX11/7-12/14
BlackwaterCassX11/7-12/14
Bowstring*ItascaX11/7-12/14
Bowstring, LittleItascaX11/7-12/14
BoyCassX11/7-12/14
BruleCookX10/17-12/14
Buffalo*BeckerX11/14-12/14
BuzzleBeltramiX11/7-12/14
Caribou*CookX10/17-12/14
Carr*BeltramiX11/7-12/14
Cass*BeltramiX11/7-12/14
Clear*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
ClearwaterBeltramiX11/7-12/14
CottonBeckerX11/7-12/14
Crane*St. LouisX10/17-12/14
CrookedCassX11/7-12/14
CrookedCrow WingX11/7-12/14
Crow Wing, Fifth & SixthHubbardX11/7-12/14
Crow Wing, Fifth & Sixth (channel)Hubbard11/7-12/14
Crow Wing, Seventh & EighthHubbardX11/7-12/14
Crow Wing, Seventh & Eighth (channel)HubbardX11/7-12/14
Crow Wing, NinthHubbardX11/7-12/14
Crystal*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Curfman*BeckerX11/7-12/14
Cut Foot Sioux*ItascaX11/7-12/14
DeerBeltramiX11/7-12/14
DeerItascaX11/7-12/14
Detroit*BeckerX11/7-12/14
EagleCrow WingX11/7-12/14
ElbowSt. LouisX10/17-12/14
ElbowBeckerX11/14-12/14
Eunice*BeckerX11/7-12/14
Fish*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Fish Hook*HubbardX11/7-12/14
Floyd*BeckerX11/7-12/14
Franklin*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
GilstadBeltramiX11/7-12/14
GrahamOtter TailX11/7-12/14
GrantBeltramiX11/7-12/14
GravesItascaX11/7-12/14
Greenwood*CookX11/7-12/14
Gull* (including Wilson’s Bay)CassX11/7-12/14
Gull, Upper*CassX11/7-12/14
Hanging Horn, BigCarltonX11/7-12/14
HowardCassX11/7-12/14
Ice CrackingBeckerX11/14-12/14
Ida*DouglasX11/7-12/14
IsabellaLakeX10/17-12/14
Island*HubbardX11/7-12/14
Jessie*ItascaX11/7-12/14
Jewett*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
KabekonaHubbardX11/7-12/14
Kabetogama*St. LouisX10/17-12/14
Kimble*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
Kitchi*BeltramiX11/7-12/14
Lake of the Woods*Lake of the WoodsX10/17-12/14
Leaf, East*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Leaf, MiddleOtter TailX11/14-12/14
Leaf, WestOtter TailX11/14-12/14
LeavittCassX11/7-12/14
Leech* (including Kabekona Bay and all other bays*)CassX10/17-12/14
Lida*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Lizzie*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Long*BeckerX11/7-12/14
Long*HubbardX11/7-12/14
Long*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Long, Lower South*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
Long, North*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
Many PointBeckerX11/7-12/14
MapleItascaX11/7-12/14
Margaret*CassX11/7-12/14
Marquette*BeltramiX11/7-12/14
Maud*BeckerX11/7-12/14
McCraneyMahnomenX11/7-12/14
Melissa*BeckerX11/7-12/14
MooreBeckerX11/7-12/14
MovilBeltramiX11/7-12/14
MurphyOtter TailX11/7-12/14
Namakan* (closed in the narrows between Namakan and Sandpoint lakes)St. LouisX10/17-12/14
NashwaukItascaX11/7-12/14
NetBeckerX11/7-12/14
OakHubbardX11/7-12/14
Ossawinamakee*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
Pelican*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
Pelican, Big*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
PikeBeckerX11/7-12/14
Pike, EastCookX10/17-12/14
Pike Bay*CassX11/7-12/14
PillagerCassX11/7-12/14
Pimushe*BeltramiX11/7-12/14
Pine, Big*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Pine, Little*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Pine Mountain*CassX11/7-12/14
Plantagenet*HubbardX11/7-12/14
Pokegama*ItascaX11/7-12/14
PortageCassX11/7-12/14
PortageCrow WingX11/7-12/14
Potato* & EagleHubbardX11/7-12/14
Potato* & Eagle (channel)HubbardX11/7-12/14
PrairieSt. LouisX11/7-12/14
Pughole (Little Thunder)CassX11/7-12/14
RachelDouglasX11/7-12/14
Rainy*St. LouisX10/17-12/14
RoundBeckerX11/7-12/14
Round*Crow WingX11/7-12/14
RoundItascaX11/7-12/14
Rush IslandItascaX11/7-12/14
Sand, Big*ItascaX11/7-12/14
Sand Point* (except the narrows between Sand Point & Namakan and Sand Point & Vermilion)St. LouisX10/17-12/14
SandyBeltramiX11/7-12/14
Sandy, BigAitkinX11/7-12/14
Sauk, Big*ToddX11/7-12/14
SideSt. LouisX11/7-12/14
Silver IslandLakeX10/17-12/14
SnyderMahnomenX11/7-12/14
SpringItascaX11/7-12/14
Stalker*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
StarCrow WingX11/7-12/14
Star*Otter TailX11/14-12/14
Steamboat*CassX11/7-12/14
StrawberryBeckerX11/7-12/14
Sturgeon, SouthItascaX11/7-12/14
Sucker, LowerCassX11/7-12/14
SwanItascaX11/7-12/14
Ten Mile*CassX11/14-12/14
Thunder*CassX11/7-12/14
TulabyBeckerX11/7-12/14
Turtle, BigBeltramiX11/7-12/14
Turtle, LittleBeltramiX11/7-12/14
Turtle River Lake*BeltramiX11/7-12/14
Twin LakesItascaX11/7-12/14
WabedoCassX11/7-12/14
WashburnCassX11/7-12/14
WelchCassX11/7-12/14
White EarthBeckerX11/7-12/14
WimerOtter TailX11/14-12/14
Winnibigoshish*CassX11/7-12/14
Winnibigoshish, Little* (except those portions within one-fourth mile of river channels)ItascaX11/7-12/14
Wolf, Big*BeltramiX11/7-12/14
Woman*CassX11/7-12/14
* Nets used in spiny water fleas and/or zebra mussel infested waters are not to be used in any other waterbody.

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