Minnesota DNR Announces Changes to 2019 Fishing Regulations

The 2019 Fishing Regulations booklet is now available and anglers should review it before heading out to Minnesota lakes this year.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources have announced the following regulation changes:

• A continuous season begins Friday, March 1, for walleye, northern pike and bass on South Dakota border waters of Big Stone, Traverse, Mud and Hendricks lakes.
• The 17- to 28-inch protected slot limit for walleye in Namakan, Kabetogama, Sand Point, Little Vermilion and Crane lakes is now a protected slot limit of 18 to 26 inches.
• On Lake of the Woods, the DNR reduced the combined possession limit for sauger and walleye to six. Of that, no more than four may be walleye.
• On the Rainy River and Fourmile Bay of Lake of the Woods, the spring walleye season from March 1 to April 14 is changed to catch-and-release only.
• Anglers will no longer have a protected slot limit for walleye in Leech Lake, but the bag restriction remains.
• Anglers will no longer have special regulations for northern pike in Lake Vermilion in St. Louis County, East and West Sylvia lakes in Wright County, Sturgeon Lake in Pine County and Big Fish Lake in Stearns County.
• Anglers will no longer have special regulations for walleye in Pearl Lake in Stearns County.
• Within the city limits of Rushford, anglers in the fall will be able to catch-and-release stream trout in Rush Creek.

You can follow the link below to review regulations and gain access to all sorts of useful fishing information, such as fishing outlooks for various regions in Minnesota, top 10 lakes, boat and canoe landings and much more.