Here is a little history of the quota for those interested. Kind of long but couldn’t get the link to work. So my apologies. IDO wasn’t playing nice with me today.
On March 24, 1999, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to uphold the Bands’ fishing rights of the 1837 treaty and put in place a co-management system that is still in place today.
Prior to the 1999 ruling, the walleye regulation on Mille Lacs was a six fish limit with one fish over 20 inches, ironically the same limit that is used statewide to this day. Back in the 90’s, nobody thought of that regulation as a “slot limit” but in reality, the protected slot was any fish over 20 inches.
Although there was a “safe harvest” limit, or otherwise known as a total allocation set as early as 1997, this history will start with the post ruling years.
1999 – The limit was still six fish with one allowed over 20 inches. The total allocation was 550,000 pounds. Anglers exceeded the state’s share 14%. The Bands came in under 17%.
Introduction of the “actual” slot limit
2000 – Came the “actual” introduction of the slot limit. The limit was six fish but they had to be between 14-18 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. The total allocation was 370,000 pounds, Anglers came in under the state’s share 28%. The Bands came in under 37%.
2001 – The limit was six fish but the slot was changed to 16-20 inches with one fish over 28 inches. This didn’t last long as the bite was hot that spring and by June there was a regulation change that dropped the slot to 16-18 inches with no fish allowed over 28 inches for the remainder of the season. The total allocation was increased to 395,000 pounds. Fun fact: The Memorial Day weekend alone produced 167,000 pounds of harvested fish! Thus leading to the slot change. Anglers came in under the state’s share 7%. The Bands came in under 43%.
2002 – A year some anglers said “there is not a place on the lake where the walleyes are not biting.” The limit was reduced for the first time in history to four, all fish must be under 20 inches except one over 28 inches was allowed. The bite was hot again and anglers exceeded their share of the slightly increased total allocation of 400,000 pounds. Anglers exceeded the state’s share by 27%. The Bands came in under 44%.
2003 – The limit was again four fish, all must be under 17 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. The total allocation was increased to 550,000 pounds. The bite was apparently non-existent that year as the angler take was a dismal 66,500 pounds of which 32,000 pounds was post mortality (fish that die after release). Anglers came in under the state’s share 85%. The Bands came in under 29%
2004 – The limit was again four fish, the slot increased, all must be under 20 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. There was also a mid-season regulation change on July 15 increasing the slot to all fish must be under 22 inches as the bite must have been slower than anticipated. The total allocation was decreased to 480,000 pounds. Anglers came in under the state’s share 79%. The Bands came in under 25%.
2005 – The limit was again four fish, the slot was again under 20 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. There was a mid-season regulation change again on July 15 increasing the slot to all fish must be under 22 inches as the bite must have been again slower than anticipated. The total allocation was increased to 505,000 pounds. Anglers came in under the state’s share 52%. The Band’s came in under 19%.
2006 – The limit was again four fish, the slot was again under 20 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. The total allocation was increased to 600,000 pounds (the largest allocation in history since co-management started). Anglers came in under the state’s share 4%. The Bands came in under 29%.
2007 – The limit was again four fish, the slot was again under 20 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. There was a mid-season regulation change on July 15 to a 14-16 inch slot. The total allocation was decreased to 549,000 pounds. Anglers exceeded the state’s share 3%. The Bands came in under 13%.
2008/2009 – The limit was again four fish, the slot was reduced to under 18 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. The total allocation was 430,000 and 541,000 pounds respectively (the only time the regulation stayed the same for two years in a row). Anglers came in under the state’s share 75% and 65%. The Bands came in under 28% and 20% respectively.
2010 – The limit was again four fish, the slot was again under 18 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. There was a mid-season regulation change on July 15 to under 20 inches. The total allocation was increased to 544,000 pounds. Anglers came in under the state’s share 34%. The Bands came in under 6% (the Bands never exceeded their quota and this is the closest the Bands ever came to their quota since co-management started).
2011 – The limit was four fish, the slot was again under 18 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. The total allocation was 540,000. Anglers came in under the state’s share 42%. The Bands came in under 57%.
2012 – This was the last year the limit was four fish, the slot was reduced to under 17 inches with one fish allowed over 28 inches. The total allocation was 500,000 pounds. The total allocation was 500,000 pounds. 136,000 pounds was post mortality. Anglers came in under the state’s share 13%. The Bands came in under 44%.
2013 – The limit was slashed to two fish, the slot was 18-20 inches with one fish over 28 inches. The total allocation was also cut in half to 250,000 pounds. Anglers came in under the state’s share 18%. The Bands came in under 78% due to late ice out.
2014 – The limit stays at two fish, the slot was again 18-20 inches with one fish over 28 inches. The total allocation was also reduced to 60,000 pounds. It was said that the 2008 year class was the dominant class currently in the lake. 2014 was also the first year the season long night ban was put into effect after opening weekend, only to be repealed on July 21. Despite the meager quota, anglers still came in under the state’s share 45%. The Bands came in under 22%.
2015 – The slide continued with the now status quo one fish limit (while it lasted), but the slot was increased to 19-21 inches with one fish over 28 inches. The night ban was again instituted for the entire season starting after opening weekend. The total allocation was also reduced to 40,000 pounds (the lowest in co-management history). The lake was shut down in August to walleye fishing until December 1, for the first time in history due to exceeding the state’s share. Anglers exceeded the state’s share 11%. The Bands came in under 9%.
The catch and release/shut down years begin
2016 – The summer was catch and release for the first time in history and also included a live bait ban for walleyes and a season long night ban was again in effect starting after opening weekend. The total allocation was again 40,000 pounds. Then Governor Dayton stepped in to keep the season open after anglers exceeded the meager quota, but it did not last, and the lake was again shut down on September 6 for the second time in consecutive years. Anglers exceeded the state’s share 27%. The Bands came in under 19%.
2017 – The summer was again catch and release and again included a live bait ban for walleyes, a season long night ban was again in effect after opening weekend, it also included a 21 day shut down in July and closure to walleye fishing the day after Labor Day until December 1. The total allocation was increased to 64,000 pounds. Anglers exceeded the state’s share 21%. The Bands came in under 25%.
2018 – The summer was again catch and release and again included a live bait ban for walleyes and the night ban was again instituted for the entire season starting after opening weekend. This was the start of the total allocation increasing to 150,000 pounds in hopes of keeping the season open all summer and fall. Anglers came in under the state’s share 48%. The Bands came in under 40%.
Climbing back out (sort of)
2019 – For the first time since 2015 the limit was reinstated to one fish, and the slot was increased to 21-23 inches with one fish over 28 inches for the month of May (after opener). The night ban was again instituted for the entire season starting after opening weekend. The lake was again closed to walleye fishing on September 6 until December 1. The total allocation was again 150,000 pounds. Anglers exceeded the state’s share 6%. The Bands came in under 27%.
2020 – The summer went back to catch and release only with the entire month of July closed to walleye fishing including a live bait ban to reduce post mortality. The night ban was again the entire season starting after opening weekend. The total allocation was again 150,000 pounds. Anglers came in under the state’s share 24%. The Bands came in under 47%.
2021 – The limit was reinstated to one fish, and the slot was again 21-23 inches with one fish over 28 inches for the month of May (after opener). The first two weeks of July was closed to walleye fishing including a live bait ban to reduce post mortality. The harvest season was then opened again on September 16 through November 30. The limit was one fish, and the slot was again 21-23 inches with one fish over 28 inches. The night ban was again instituted for the season starting after opening weekend but was extended to midnight on September 16. The total allocation was again 150,000 pounds. Anglers came in under the state’s share 37%. The Bands came in under 17%.
2022 – The regulations for the upcoming open water season are as follows: The limit is again one fish, and the slot is again 21-23 inches with one fish over 28 inches for the month of May (after opener). The first two weeks of July Is again closed to walleye fishing including a live bait ban to reduce post mortality. The harvest season is scheduled to open again on September 1 through November 30. The limit is again one fish, and the slot is again 21-23 inches with one fish over 28 inches. The night ban is again instituted for the season starting after opening weekend and is again extended to midnight on September 1. The total allocation is 135,000 pounds.
Summary
Since the treaty ruling in the spring of 1999, on average anglers have come in under the states share 27%. Even though anglers have exceeded the states share 8 years of the 24. The Bands on average came in under 30% and have never exceeded their share. The total 24 year average allocation was 348,000 pounds.
