Anglers who fish the State waters of Upper Red Lake will be able to keep four wa

[JohnWester]

Incase you missed the announcement!

The higher bag limit is an increase of two fish from the regulation that began in May of 2006 when the lake was reopened to walleye fishing. The regulation will afford anglers more opportunity to keep fish while still limiting the take to within the safe harvest level.

"The citizen advisory group up here had recommended we relax regulations for the remainder of this open water season if possible," said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor. "That possibility is now a reality because anglers caught fewer fish than anticipated during May and June, primarily due to less-than-expected fishing pressure because of windy weather."

The current protected size limit will remain in effect requiring all walleye from 17- to 26-inches to be immediately released. Only one walleye larger than 26 inches may be kept. The four-fish bag limit will be in effect through Nov. 30, 2007, with regulations reverting back to a two-fish bag on Dec. 1 for the 2007-2008 winter season.

Red Lake was closed to walleye fishing from May 1999 through February 2006 after the population collapsed from over-harvest. The regulation that went into affect last spring has been successful in managing angler harvest under the target level of 3.5 pounds per acre, or 168,000 pounds. A local citizen advisory group recommended that, if possible, the DNR should try to allocate the harvest equally between winter and open-water angling seasons, or 84,000 pounds per season.

Barnard said the winter harvest estimate was 70,000 pounds for 2006-07 season, very near the seasonal target level. However, fishing pressure and harvest rates this spring have been lower than anticipated, resulting in a total harvest of 24,000 pounds through the May-June period. The DNR, through its rule-making process, is able change to a four fish bag limit if total winter harvest plus May and June harvest are less than 134,000 pounds.

"We had the ability to make the change and we were glad to do it," said Barnard. He said winter angling pressure on Upper Red has been much more predictable than the open water angling. This reflects how ice fishing, which now features overnight rental houses, large portable wheeled houses, and a thriving winter ice road business, allows anglers to access to the lake and to fish in comfort through all kinds of weather conditions. The same isn't true for open water fishing.

Harvest projections under a four-fish bag limit for the winter season indicate a high probability of exceeding target harvest levels. Therefore, reverting to a two-fish bag limit on Dec. 1 will be necessary to manage winter harvest and minimize the risk of an early season closure. Barnard said the DNR will continue to monitor harvest and work with local citizens and businesses to maximize angling opportunities on State waters of Upper Red Lake.

 
 

[iceman]

Thanks big fish