Comments On Fishing Regulation Changes

[HD]

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is inviting public comments and suggestions about changes being considered to the recreational and commercial fishing regulations.
Public comments will be considered for inclusion in a package of rules that will be drafted after the May 29 comment deadline. The final rules package will be made available for public review and comment through the State Register.

“This is the start of the process we use to clarify and change specific portions of our fishing regulations,” said Linda Erickson-Eastwood, DNR fisheries program manager. “We will take into account any suggestions the public may have on rules that are under consideration.”

A complete listing of the proposed changes under consideration can be found in the March 30, edition of the State Register  on the DNR Web site.


Among the recreational fishing changes to be considered are:

Eliminating the aggregate limits for brook, brown and rainbow trout in Lake Superior and Lake Superior tributary streams.
Amending the Lake trout season to include the first full weekend of October.
Closing the Lester River from 100 feet lake-ward from the Superior Street Bridge to protect spawning fish that attempt to ascend the falls, making themselves vulnerable to angler harvest.
Removing the seasonal closures on the Little Knife River (St. Louis
County) and the Knife River above Co Road 9 (St. Louis and Lake counties).
Adding Knife River Marina and McQuade Road Public Access to the designation list for posting seasonal closures to fishing.
Clarifying the use of spawn bags to be used as bait for angling.
Opening additional border waters and river systems to night bow fishing.
Changing yellow perch bag limits to 10 daily and 40 in possession on Minnesota-South Dakota border waters.
Among the commercial fishing changes to be considered for Lake Superior
are:

Requiring white fish to be harvested under a special permit.
Adding safety requirements for commercial nets being used in Lake Superior.
Reducing the amount of gill net that can be set for chubs (both total footage and individual license footage) and setting limitations on gear and number of licensed operators in the rainbow smelt fishery.
Implementing special permit conditions and additional reporting requirements for the commercial taking of lake trout, cisco and whitefish.
Proposing modifications to rules that determine where commercial nets can be set in Lake Superior, especially those that are set in proximity to marinas and public access areas.
Comments may be submitted through May 29 in writing to Linda Erickson-Eastwood, Box 20, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4020.

Comments will be accepted by telephone at 651-259-5200 or toll free 888-MINNDNR (646-6367). Comments can be sent electronically via e-mail to Linda.Erickson-Eastwood@dnr.state.mn.us or by visiting the DNR’s online fishing rules page.