Yellow Perch Limit Now Reduced On Minnesota's Mille Lacs Lake

Mille Lacs Lake, located in central Minnesota, is the state's second-largest inland lake, covering roughly 132,500 acres (207 square miles). It's known as a premier "fishing factory," famous for its world-class walleye, smallmouth bass, and muskellunge populations.

Another popular target for anglers during the winter months on mid-lake mudflats and gravel-to-mud transitions is yellow perch.

However, due to a high recent harvest, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recently announced that it is reducing the daily possession limit on that fish.

Minnesota DNR Announces Yellow Perch Reduction

According to the DNR, starting on Monday, February 9, the daily and possession limit for yellow perch on Mille Lacs Lake will be reduced from 10 to 5. This regulation will be in place through November 30, 2026.

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The DNR says it is adjusting the limit to help maintain a healthy perch population for the future and to stay within the state’s share of the harvestable surplus. In addition to being prized by anglers for the dinner table, the fish are a key species in the Mille Lacs Lake ecosystem and are a primary food source for predators, especially walleye.

“Many anglers have enjoyed good perch fishing this winter on Mille Lacs Lake, even better than last winter,” said Brad Parsons, Minnesota DNR fisheries section manager.

Parsons added that the perch harvest each of the last two years has been more than double what it was in earlier years, dating back to 2012, and that amount is drawing angler interest, which is a good indicator for the health of the lake.

The DNR adds that state-licensed anglers share the perch harvest on Mille Lacs Lake with Ojibwe Tribes that retain fishing rights by treaty. To conserve the fishery, the state and the Tribes cooperatively establish an annual safe harvest level through a government-to-government, co-management process.

Each party then sets fishing regulations to stay within its share of the harvest. This year, the state’s share of the perch harvest is 36,500 pounds. As of January 18, the state had harvested more than 17,000 pounds of perch.

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Anglers who wish to learn more can find Mille Lacs Lake fishing regulations and regularly updated data on state-licensed angler catches of walleye, northern pike, and yellow perch on the Minnesota DNR website.

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