Winter Anglers on Mille Lacs Lake Able to Keep One Walleye This Year

Winter anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will be able to harvest this winter for the fifth season in a row.

Starting Tuesday, Dec. 1, anglers will be allowed to keep one walleye between 21-23 inches, or one fish longer than 28 inches. This is the same regulation as the last two winter seasons.

Winter regulations are set after the DNR completes its annual fall netting assessment. The DNR’s 2020 assessment found that the walleye population has remained relatively stable over the past four years, having rebounded from population lows seen from 2012 to 2016.

Harvest from the winter of 2020-21 will be counted towards the state’s annual share of walleye from Mille Lacs under the 1837 Treaty. State anglers share the harvest with eight Ojibwe tribes that having fishing rights under the treaty. The state’s allowable harvest for the coming year will be set in early 2021 through discussions between the state and the tribes.