Mille Lacs Walleye Fishing Resumes After Month-Long Pause

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Walleye fishing has returned to central Minnesota’s Mille Lacs Lake after a month-long closure.

State regulators froze walleye fishing at the lake July 7 amid years of struggles to bolster the lake’s walleye population. The planned three-week closure was extended after discovering anglers had exceeded the 45,000-pound quota.

Minnesota Public Radio News reports that catch-and-release walleye fishing resumed at Mille Lacs Lake at 6 a.m. on Friday. It’s expected to last through Labor Day.

The declining walleye population has caused trouble on the lake for years. The Department of Natural Resources first closed walleye-fishing season in 2015, causing outrage among local business owners.

Anglers and business owners have questioned the DNR’s tracking of the walleye population. The state is planning to review its management of the lake.