Committee sets lower Mille Lacs Lake harvest caps in 2008 (February 1, 2008)
Members of the 1837 Treaty Fisheries Technical Committee have established Mille Lacs Lake 2008 harvest caps of 430,000 pounds for walleye, 270,000 pounds for yellow perch and 25,000 pounds for northern pike.
The committee, comprised of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Chippewa band interests, sets safe harvest levels every winter to help ensure that Mille Lacs Lake remains a productive fishery. Now that harvest levels have been identified the DNR will develop fishing regulation options for the 2008 season. The options will be presented to the citizen-comprised Mille Lacs Lake Fisheries Input Group later this month.
This year’s safe harvest level means anglers will be able to harvest 307,500 pounds of walleye, 135,000 pounds of yellow perch and 12,500 pounds of northern pike from Mille Lacs Lake. The remaining allocations are divided among the eight Chippewa bands that have treaty rights to fish Mille Lacs Lake.
This year, the bands declared a harvest level of 122,500 pounds, up from 100,000 pounds in previous years. Mille Lacs, which is subject to allocations and quotas, is managed differently than any other lake in the state.
