Anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will be able to keep one walleye 21-23 inches long or one longer than 28 inches, according to a release from the Minnesota DNR. On top of the harvest, there will be a mid-season closure.

Summer will bring catch-and-release walleye fishing before a potential one-fish limit returns in the fall.

“Lower walleye harvest this winter is allowing us to offer some open-water walleye harvest this year,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We’re glad Mille Lacs anglers will have the chance to keep a walleye on opening weekend and Memorial Day weekend, two of the most popular times to fish during the year. We also hope to be able to allow some harvest this fall.”

According to the release:

• The one-fish walleye limit will be in place from Saturday, May 15, through Monday, May 31.
• Walleye fishing will be catch-and-release from Tuesday, June 1, through Wednesday, June 30.
• A two-week closure implemented to reduce hooking mortality will be in place from Thursday, July 1, through Thursday, July 15.
• Catch-and-release walleye fishing will resume on Friday, July 16, and continue through Wednesday, Sept. 15.

After opening weekend, fishing hours on Mille Lacs Lake will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all species. Beginning Saturday, June 5, muskellunge and northern pike anglers using artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches can fish after 10 p.m.

The one-fish walleye limit is scheduled to resume Thursday, Sept. 16, through Tuesday, Nov. 30. During the late season, the DNR also will allow anglers to fish from 6 a.m. to midnight according to the release.

“Our goal with these regulations is to meet the state’s treaty obligations while also providing the best possible experience for anglers, recognizing that fishing and the anglers it brings are economically important to the Mille Lacs Lake area,” Parsons said.

By — Nick Ursini