New regs for Red Lake for this summer

New regs announced today, limit will be 5, with one over 17” Never heard of that number before. Interesting, what do you think?

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/news/2023/04/18/upper-red-lake-walleye-regulations-announced-open-water-season

I wouldn’t fish Red if the limit was 100. Just my personal bias.

Between this and the new Mille Lacs rules, things are looking a lot better than they have been in years. Finally worth it to go up that far.

Red’s a great lake i’m sure the winter limit will go back to 4 . Heading up in June. Grew up hunting and fishing Red it’s always worth the drive.

Hoyt4 wrote:

Red’s a great lake i’m sure the winter limit will go back to 4 . Heading up in June. Grew up hunting and fishing Red it’s always worth the drive.

I agree. I always have a great time on that lake. But I limit it to 2 trips per year, mainly because there are many other great lakes I love to explore

Is this a “get the fish while they can” type move for the next couple years?

Perhaps the tribes looking to regain the Eastern territorial rights around URL has some traction? As crazy as that sounds, would you seriously doubt it given our elected officials in office + the growing societal need to keep everyone happy at all costs?

Crazier conspiracy theories have come true.

Well that will make things interesting. Before we could eat a one day limit then bring one home. Now way we can do that on a 2 day outing with this increased limit. Looks like catch and release just reared its ugly head…

buckybadger wrote:

Is this a “get the fish while they can” type move for the next couple years?
Perhaps the tribes looking to regain the Eastern territorial rights around URL has some traction? As crazy as that sounds, would you seriously doubt it given our elected officials in office + the growing societal need to keep everyone happy at all costs?

With our current administration in the State and DNR, I was thinking it was probably regs designed to fish it out again so we can declare an emergency, shame ourselves as European colonizers, and return the lake to the tribe…

Your missing out on some fishing, Opener a year or so ago we caught 100 fish by noon LOL and a few 16″ crappies in 4′ of water.

Dutchboy wrote:

I wouldn’t fish Red if the limit was 100. Just my personal bias.

I agree. I always have a great time on that lake. But I limit it to 2 trips per year, mainly because there are many other great lakes I love to explore
[/quote]

For sure there are but . I duck hunt, deer hunt, grouse hunt, bear hunt and fish and wouldn’t want anything else . All my first are from going to Red. First 16 inch crappie was at 5 1980. So I have tough time not loving Red.

Hoyt4 wrote:

I agree. I always have a great time on that lake. But I limit it to 2 trips per year, mainly because there are many other great lakes I love to explore

For sure there are but . I duck hunt, deer hunt, grouse hunt, bear hunt and fish and wouldn’t want anything else . All my first are from going to Red. First 16 inch crappie was at 5 1980. So I have tough time not loving Red.
[/quote]

I hear you. I would go more often, but I love to go other areas as well and I don’t get that much free time. So I try to go 2 times a year maybe more if possible. But usually doesn’t work

Assuming it’s open water by then, opener will be absolutely nuts. The fact that they changed the limits to drastically proves that the science is telling them they have to think that class. Otherwise, if they were just testing the waters, they could’ve raised it incrementally.

MNDNR: “We support implementing a 4 walleye bag limit statewide”

Also MNDNR: “We are making URL a 5 fish limit”

3Rivers wrote:

MNDNR: “We support implementing a 4 walleye bag limit statewide”

Also MNDNR: “We are making URL a 5 fish limit”

Haha good point.

That said, URL is a heck of a lot different than any other lake in the state. It is a giant walleye factory that only sees hook and line fishing on roughly 25% of the lake. They could make the limit 20 on our side of URL and the overall red lake walleye population would be just fine. The only way that lake could get fished out is with nets or if we were allowed to fish the rez.

I’ll be up there after the opener crowd leaves. It’s always a hot bite early and a fun lake regardless of the limits.

3Rivers wrote:

MNDNR: “We support implementing a 4 walleye bag limit statewide”

Also MNDNR: “We are making URL a 5 fish limit”

Easier to list one lake with 5 than a bunch of lakes with 4.