Ask a conservation officer

[Lee Borgersen]

  Ask a conservation officer:



                    Know the rules before trying to net smelt.

 Apr 26, 2015







 

 




Q: I am looking to catch some smelt in Lake Superior this week. What kind of nets can I use?



A: Smelt typically are targeted in two spots on the lake: river mouths and shallow beaches. Seine nets up to 25 feet long and four feet deep can be used on beaches and shallow areas, but cannot be used in a stream or within 100 feet of the mouth of a stream. Dip nets can be used almost anywhere to catch the little fish, but are especially popular at the mouths of rivers or streams to catch the fish as they swim upstream. The following rivers are closed to smelting: French River, Sucker River, Little Sucker River, Silver Creek, Encampment River and Crow Creek. Cast nets cannot be used in Minnesota waters to take smelt.