Beginning Jan. 23, walleye regulations will become more restrictive on Upper Red Lake because of a record December walleye harvest.
On that day, the daily bag and possession limit will drop to two walleye, and anglers must immediately release all walleye in the 17-26 inch range, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Only one walleye in possession may be longer than 26 inches. The current regulation allowed three walleye in the daily bag and possession limit.
Upper and Lower Red, which are joined, are the biggest lake completely inside Minnesota.
Walleye fishing pressure and harvest continue to increase on Upper Red Lake despite more restrictive angling regulations that were implemented on Dec. 1, 2014.
"Fishing pressure in December was more than double compared to last December," said Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor, and the harvest rate is up 57 percent. The reason is that, despite more restrictive regulations that started Dec. 1, anglers were able to get around more because of perfect travel conditions.
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Upper Red Lake harvest restrictions are necessary to comply with a joint walleye harvest plan agreement with the Red Lake Band of Chippewa. For more information on Red Lake fishing regulations, see www.mndnr.gov/regulations/fishing .
Milestone for Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited announced it has hit the 5 million-acre mark for number of acres conserved for waterfowl habitat in the U.S.
It took 30 years to do it, said the world's largest waterfowl and wetlands conservation group.
In 1984, DU turned its sights from working more in Canada and said it was going to also work in the U.S.
Across the entire continent, more than 13 million acres have been conserved in the United States, Canada and Mexico because of DU work, the group announced.
