Ask a Conservation Officer

[Lee Borgersen]

                Ask a Conservation Officer:

              Is there a 'gray area' for lakes with slot limits?


Q: I was walleye fishing on Fish Lake and caught a walleye that was just outside the allowable slot limit at 17 ⅛ inches long. Do I really have to throw it back due to ⅛-inch measurement, or is there a "gray" area that is allowable for lakes with slot limits?


A: A few years ago, DNR Fisheries instituted a slot limit on Fish Lake Reservoir requiring all walleyes under 13 inches or longer than 17 inches to be immediately returned to the water, except one walleye over 26 inches is allowed in possession, and a total limit of three fish.

A slot limit is just that — a limit on the length of fish that can or cannot be possessed. If a walleye is exactly 13 or exactly 17 inches long, it could be legally kept on Fish Lake, but if it is 17 ⅛, or 12 ⅞ inches long, the protected slot size means that it must be returned to the water. Conservation officers do take enforcement action even if a fish is only off by ⅛ or ¼ inch.

Carry a good tape measure with you and be sure to measure those species of fish included in a special length regulation. Several times this officer has encountered people who guessed at the length of the fish, but were well off the mark enough to result in a citation.

These special regulations are in place to help grow the population of that species of fish and allow for better fishing success in the future. Check the Fishing Regulation Synopsis book for details on special regulation lakes or border waters.


Matthew S. Miller is a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer with the Lake Superior Marine Unit. Send your questions to outdoors@duluthnews.com.