I was just looking at the moon cycle and wondering if we would be able to troll this fall. The Sept full moon is on Tuesday the 22nd. Perfect for a weekend of night trolling. Weather permitting. If the weather is good I may just take that Monday off. Most people head home on Sunday.
Here is the full new release:
Early and late season walleye harvest to be allowed on Mille Lacs in 2021
March 23, 2021
Early-season walleye anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will be able to keep one walleye 21-23 inches long or one longer than 28 inches. Summer will bring catch-and-release walleye fishing, with a mid-season closure, before the potential for a one-fish limit returns in the fall.
“Lower walleye harvest this winter is allowing us to offer some open-water walleye harvest this year,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We’re glad Mille Lacs anglers will have the chance to keep a walleye on opening weekend and Memorial Day weekend — two of the most popular times to fish during the year. We also hope to be able to allow some harvest this fall.”
The one-fish walleye limit will be in place from Saturday, May 15, through Monday, May 31. Walleye fishing will be catch-and-release from Tuesday, June 1, through Wednesday, June 30. A two-week closure — implemented to reduce hooking mortality — will be in place from Thursday, July 1, through Thursday, July 15. Catch-and-release walleye fishing will resume on Friday, July 16, and continue through Wednesday, Sept. 15.
After opening weekend, fishing hours on Mille Lacs Lake will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all species. Beginning Saturday, June 5, muskellunge and northern pike anglers using artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches can fish after 10 p.m.
The one-fish walleye limit is scheduled to resume Thursday, Sept. 16, through Tuesday, Nov. 30. During the late season, the DNR also will allow anglers to fish from 6 a.m. to midnight.
“Our projections strongly suggest that fall harvest can occur,” Parsons said. “However, predicting fishing pressure, catch rates and weather involves some uncertainty so we want people to recognize that the fall harvest will depend on how much of the state’s 2021 walleye allocation remains as we approach September. As always, we will monitor the factors that determine the state’s walleye take throughout the open water season.”
The state and the eight Chippewa bands that have treaty fishing rights agreed Mille Lacs could sustain a state harvest of up to 87,800 pounds of walleye this year, unchanged from 2020. During the 2020 season, state-licensed anglers took 66,748 pounds and tribal fishing took 33,113 pounds.
This year’s winter walleye harvest was about 16,000 pounds, about half of what it was in 2020. Lower catch rates for anglers, combined with fewer people fishing, caused harvest to return to normal levels after a big spike last year. That drop in walleye take gave the DNR more flexibility to implement a one-fish limit during the early season and plan one for the late season.
Even with the drop in winter harvest, a two-week closure during what’s normally one of the hottest times of the summer remains necessary to protect walleye. As water temperature increases, so does hooking mortality — the tendency for fish to die after being caught and released. Protecting walleye during this vulnerable period can allow for many weeks of harvest during cooler times of the year.
To help avoid incidental catch of walleye during the two-week closure, fishing for any species with certain kinds of bait will be restricted. Anglers targeting northern pike and muskellunge can use sucker minnows longer than 8 inches. But anglers targeting other fish may not use live, dead, preserved or parts of minnows, night crawlers, worms, leeches or crayfish.
“Our goal with these regulations is to meet the state’s treaty obligations while also providing the best possible experience for anglers, recognizing that fishing and the anglers it brings are economically important to the Mille Lacs Lake area,” Parsons said.
More information about fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake, ongoing DNR management and research, citizen engagement and Mille Lacs-area recreation opportunities is available on the DNR website.
Thanks for posting this Jon. It sounds like there is some interest in night time fall fishing already.
I’m fine with a 2 week closure in July. Its hot, humid, and the bite usually sucks.
Last year the DNR left 21,000 lbs on the table or roughly 24%. Take that 21,000 lbs and the difference between last winters and this winters of 17,000 lbs and there is potentially 38,000 lbs available for this summer/fall over last year. Additionally the slow bite or more normal historical bite is somewhat expected to continue due to all the perch. So you can see why the DNR is confident of allowing to keep a fish this fall and opening up until 12:00.
The DNR did a lot of modeling of different scenarios with probabilities and presented to MLFAC. The powers that be on MLFAC aren’t excited on a shut down but choose the 1st two weeks of July as that is vacation time on the lake and having a walleye shut down does not really affect them as folks still come to the lake to vacation. So it kind of works out in that the businesses really aren’t affected and the walleye mortality is somewhat limited.
Now that we have fall fishing back, my focus is changing to limiting winter harvest, say to 15,000 lbs. As has been commented many times it is very unfair for the winter anglers to get a full season with no threat of a shut down while the summer anglers continue with shutdowns and closures. If the winter harvest was limited to 15,000 lbs, then there would be a much reduced chance of a summer shutdown. My belief is that if there was to be a winter harvest limit and if that limit was reached, the wheel house folks will still show up as they need to use their investment and with Mille Lacs being so close, they will still come. I will continue to push this.
My guess is that the phenomenal bite of the last couple of years ended in the summer of 2020. We may not see the lake on fire like that in many years. Still, plenty of fish to be caught but not in near the numbers or average size 0f 2017-2019.
Good lord the calendar on my phone for work has less dates filled in than this regs.
My guess is that the phenomenal bite of the last couple of years ended in the summer of 2020. We may not see the lake on fire like that in many years. Still, plenty of fish to be caught but not in near the numbers or average size 0f 2017-2019.
Won’t be long till that 2013 class is in their mid 20in.
Guess I will be taking some vacation time in late September this year! 
2 week shut down in July is a complete joke! Along with the date(s)/time(s) your allowed to fish on a public body of water with live bait. Can’t even target perch with live bait in beginning of July?? Not saying that I would but the more restrictions and mandates DNR/Government/etc. put on people is to remind us that we are/were a free country or abuse of power at hand? All for catch and release but when somebody feels they have the power to tell sportsmen when/where/how they are to fish a public body of water when do we say enough is enough and do something about it?
2 week shut down in July is a complete joke! Along with the date(s)/time(s) your allowed to fish on a public body of water with live bait. Can’t even target perch with live bait in beginning of July?? Not saying that I would but the more restrictions and mandates DNR/Government/etc. put on people is to remind us that we are/were a free country or abuse of power at hand? All for catch and release but when somebody feels they have the power to tell sportsmen when/where/how they are to fish a public body of water when do we say enough is enough and do something about it?
Completely agree with this. A two week shut down in early July doesn’t make sense. Aren’t water temperatures normally peaking in August?
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bowhuntr wrote:</div>
2 week shut down in July is a complete joke! Along with the date(s)/time(s) your allowed to fish on a public body of water with live bait. Can’t even target perch with live bait in beginning of July?? Not saying that I would but the more restrictions and mandates DNR/Government/etc. put on people is to remind us that we are/were a free country or abuse of power at hand? All for catch and release but when somebody feels they have the power to tell sportsmen when/where/how they are to fish a public body of water when do we say enough is enough and do something about it?Completely agree with this. A two week shut down in early July doesn’t make sense. Aren’t water temperatures normally peaking in August?
That’s a side effect of MLFAC’s input, the DNR doesn’t listen to them on the reg’s, or transparency in negotiations with the band, or quota determination, so in this case they throw them a bone on when they close it. Around the 4th is the busiest “up north” time of the year, so closing it then has the least impact on MLFAC businesses.
Here is some info on angler hours by 2 week periods and hooking mortality based on temps. This data is from the 2019 Mille Lacs Creel Survey Report. Closing at this time was strictly a business decision by the business owner on MLFAC. It could just as well have been closed down the last two weeks of July with no difference on temp or hooking mortality. Not to be selfish but for myself with a cabin on the lake and the yearly family get together over the 4th, this is a big impact. No taking the grand kids bobber fishing.
Open-Water Tables
Table A 1. Total summer fishing pressure (angler-hours) during the 2019 fishing season with and without tribal data included, Mille Lacs Lake.
Tribal Data Included Without Tribal Data
Pressure Pressure
Period Angler-hrs Angler-hrs
May Opener-31 1 192,282 192,210
June 1-15 2 112,172 112,172
June 16-30 3 94,676 93,777
July 1-15 4 89,453 89,453
July 16-31 5 74,172 74,172
August 1-15 6 72,806 72,496
August 16-31 7 56,973 56,973
September 1-15 8 36,080 36,050
September 16-30 9 18,413 18,413
October 1-31 10 7,062 7,062
Summer Tournaments 16,848 16,848
Open Water Season excluding Tournaments 754,089 752,778
All Open Water Fishing 770,937 769,626
Period Temperature (°F) Hooking Mortality Rate (%)
1 50.30 0.72
2 62.15 2.95
3 65.69 4.47
4 73.74 11.02
5 75.76 13.66
6 75.30 13.02
7 71.16 8.28
8 65.30 4.27
9 63.08 3.35
10 46.27 0.46
To make it easier.
July 1 – 15 total hours 89,453, temp 75.76, hooking mortality 13.66
July 16 – 31 total hours 74,172, temp 75.30, hooking mortality 13.02
Thus while the total hours are a little higher July 1 – 15, temp and hooking mortality are down a little July 16 – 31, so pretty much a wash as impact on fish counted against total.
Completely agree with this. A two week shut down in early July doesn’t make sense. Aren’t water temperatures normally peaking in August?
Last year water temperatures peaked in late June/early July. Generally speaking, water temps are the highest sometime during the month of July.
Additionally, last year there was a month long closure in July. So only having 2 weeks along with harvest in May, harvest in fall, and longer night time fishing in fall is a win in my book.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Angler II wrote:</div>
Completely agree with this. A two week shut down in early July doesn’t make sense. Aren’t water temperatures normally peaking in August?Last year water temperatures peaked in late June/early July. Generally speaking, water temps are the highest sometime during the month of July.
Additionally, last year there was a month long closure in July. So only having 2 weeks along with harvest in May, harvest in fall, and longer night time fishing in fall is a win in my book.
Not a win but more of a step in the right direction. Completely mismanaged lake and it’s being done to remind the sportsman and sportswomen who is the real boss! (Government) Prior to fishing opener you will see the D governors sending out a message to everyone heading out fishing to social distance and wear your mask(s) just another reminder…do as I say!
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>gimruis wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Angler II wrote:</div>
Completely agree with this. A two week shut down in early July doesn’t make sense. Aren’t water temperatures normally peaking in August?Last year water temperatures peaked in late June/early July. Generally speaking, water temps are the highest sometime during the month of July.
Additionally, last year there was a month long closure in July. So only having 2 weeks along with harvest in May, harvest in fall, and longer night time fishing in fall is a win in my book.
Not a win but more of a step in the right direction. Completely mismanaged lake and it’s being done to remind the sportsman and sportswomen who is the real boss! (Government) Prior to fishing opener you will see the D governors sending out a message to everyone heading out fishing to social distance and wear your mask(s) just another reminder…do as I say!
Agree but disagree. It is being managed with both hands tied behind there backs. They are doing what they can to appease as many as they can. They are not playing with the same deck of cards as every other lake they manage. You can discuss it with the Supreme Court if you would like, but it didn’t turn out to great for the last group that tried.
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