Walleye Quota Set 
The lowest ever 
Feb 5th
The DNR released the 2014 walleye harvest level for Mille Lacs Lake last week. The level is set at 60,000 pounds. Of this, 42,900 pounds is allocated to the state and 17,100 pounds is allocated to the eight Chippewa bands with 1837 Treaty harvest rights. These allocation amounts were recently agreed upon at a meeting of DNR and tribal natural resource leaders. This is the lowest walleye quota ever. 
the rest of the story
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DNR Fisheries Chief Don Pereira said a limited harvest under the existing restrictive harvest slot, combined with potential additional more restrictive regulations, will provide the needed protection to the lake’s struggling walleye population.
“Is the walleye population where we want it? Absolutely not,”Pereira said, “but restrictive harvest opportunities this year will not impair the lake’s ability to produce future generations of walleye. Mille Lacs has been, and always will be a great fishing destination.”
Justin Baldwin of Nitti’s Hunters Point Resort on the east side of the Mille Lacs Lake said the position we are in with the lake is unfortunate. No one wins and it affects everyone. Baldwin said he would like to see the DNR set some goals going forward to create a solution to the problem. He said they could look at Leech Lake or Red Lake and learn from them.
“Lowering the quota is just putting a bandaid on the problem to stop the bleeding now but it doesn’t help the lake in the future,” said Baldwin.
The Mille Lacs safe harvest level has ranged from a high of 600,000 pounds in 2006 to this year’s low of 60,000 pounds. Actual harvests, however, have been very low in some previous years. In 2003, for example, state anglers took only 66,492 pounds of walleye and similar situations occurred in 2004 and 2008.
“We have not yet finalized size or bag limit regulations for the 2014 fishing season and won’t until we confer further with citizens later in February,” Pereira said. “Meanwhile, we will continue to seek answers to the perplexing problem of young walleye survival and will also open our entire fisheries management books to a newly formed “blue ribbon” panel of nationally recognized fisheries experts.”
Pereira said the agency is exploring new ways to engage citizens this year because it will seek input on harvest reduction options in addition to walleye slot length and bag limit regulations. These options, such as an extended night fishing ban, would help to ensure the walleye safe harvest level is not exceeded.
“Nothing has been decided other than we need to have this discussion with anglers and affected interests,” Pereira said. “We want to identify a variety of regulatory options because regulations are how we manage harvest.”
In contrast to walleye, northern pike continue to increase in abundance, with record catches of young fish in the last two assessments. The total harvest cap will be increased for the coming fishing season to 100,000 pounds with equal allocation between the state and the bands. The DNR will also explore expanded angling opportunities for both pike and smallmouth bass. Final 2014 Mille Lacs open water fishing regulations will be announced in March.
Terry McQuiod of McQuoid’s Inn in Isle said he was not surprised with the DNR’s announcement. “We kind of knew it was coming. It’s been in the slide and was not a total surprise. It will probably end up not being that much slower than last year,” said McQuoid. He said the hardcore fisherman were already gone last year so this year won’t be much different in that aspect. Last year McQuoid’s Inn had their best year ever with the people who came for fun and entertainment so he’s not real worried. “We already have many weekends booked full this summer,” McQuoid said. He gets corporate parties, family reunions, bachelor parties — people who are coming to the lake for fun. Fishing isn’t the main focus. “I would like to see the walleye population turn around,” McQuoid said. He said he has seen the lake go through this before and believes that we have a year or two of tough fishing but it will bounce back. He said it would be nice for the DNR to figure out why there are walleye issues but as a resort owner, he doesn’t think it's the end of the world.
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