DNR to hold open houses to discuss northern pike special regulations

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DNR to hold open houses to discuss northern pike special regulations
(Released January 19, 2012)

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invites the public to visit a DNR area fisheries office Friday, Feb. 17, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to provide comments and learn more about why the northern pike special regulations were dropped on a permanent basis on 15 lakes.
The DNR dropped 15 lakes with northern pike special regulations on Nov. 1, 2011. This action was necessitated by a change in state law that restricted the DNR to no more than 100 northern pike special or experimental regulation lakes. The 15 lakes that were dropped were lakes where fisheries biologists felt the regulation was least likely to achieve its management goal, or smaller lakes connected to larger lakes that also had a special northern pike regulation. Emergency rule was used to drop special regulations on these lakes. In order to drop these regulations permanently, the DNR is required to solicit additional public comment.

Open houses are scheduled at the following locations:

CENTRAL REGION

■Long and Crooked lakes (Stearns County), Montrose Area Fisheries headquarters, 7372 State Highway 25 SW, Montrose, MN 55363; 763-675-3301.
■Ogechie Lake (Mille Lacs County) and Little Sauk Lake (Todd County), Little Falls Area Fisheries headquarters, 16543 Haven Road, Little Falls, MN 56345; 320-616-2450.
NORTHWEST REGION

■Cotton and Big Floyd lakes (Becker County), Detroit Lakes Area Fisheries headquarters, 14583 County Highway 19, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501; 218-846-8340.
■Lake Louise (Cass County), Walker Area Fisheries headquarters, 7316 State Highway 371 NW, Walker, MN 56484; 218-547-1683.
■Lake Latoka (Douglas County), Glenwood Area Fisheries headquarters, 23070 North Lakeshore Drive, Glenwood, MN 56334; 320-634-4573.
■Campbell Lake (Beltrami County), Bemidji Area Fisheries headquarters, 2114 Bemidji Ave., Bemidji, MN 56601; 218-308-2330.
NORTHEAST REGION

■Caribou Lake (St. Louis County), Duluth Area Fisheries headquarters, 5351 North Shore Dr., Duluth, MN 55804; 218-525-0853.
■North Branch Kawishiwi (Lake County), Tower Area Fisheries headquarters, 650 Highway 169, Tower, MN 56470; 218-753-2580.
■Scrapper, Rice, Unnamed (#31-0881), Haskell lakes (Itasca County), Grand Rapids Area Fisheries headquarters, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 56744; 218-327-4430.
Those unable to attend an open house may submit written comments or comments by phone to the appropriate area office. All comments must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 17. Public comments will also be accepted during an open house Feb. 22, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the DNR Central Office, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul.