Upper Red Lake walleye anglers still can keep four fish beginning Dec.
1, but all walleye 17-to 26-inches in length must be immediately
released. Anglers can keep one walleye longer than
26 inches.
?Winter angling pressure has been consistently higher than
open-water fishing pressure, making the adjustment back to the 17- to
26-inch protected slot limit for the winter season a necessity,? said
Gary Barnard, Bemidji area fisheries supervisor for the DNR. ?Anglers
still will have good success because walleye abundance remains high and
there are good numbers of fish smaller than 17 inches.?
The change from the open water 20- to 26-inch protected slot limit to
the winter 17- to 26-inch protected slot limit that begins Tuesday, Dec.
1, will continue through Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010.
The estimated open-water walleye harvest from state waters of Upper Red
Lake for 2009 was 147,000 pounds. That harvest level is 21,000 pounds
below the threshold that would trigger a more conservative three-fish
limit.
Regulations for the 2010 open water fishing season will be determined
later this winter and announced in advance of the walleye opener on
Saturday, May 15, 2010.
