The Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee will meet from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at Appeldoorn’s Sunset Bay Resort, 45401 Mille Lacs Parkway in Isle. The agenda will cover open water fishing regulations and discussion around lake management planning. Members of the public may attend and observe these meetings, and 15 minutes at the end of each meeting is reserved for public comments and questions.

PERM encourages its members, and concerned citizens to attend. Been the lookout for more on what “cautiously allow anglers to start keeping some fish” might mean for Mille Lacs anglers. See post below

Outdoor News February 14, 2019, Minnesota DNR Reports

Anglers on Lake Mille Lacs will have an opportunity to keep some walleye during the open-water fishing season this year, the Minnesota DNR said in a news release Thursday, Feb. 14.

This follows several seasons of catch-and-release fishing on the lake. But last year, state anglers stayed well under the lake’s safe-harvest allocation for walleyes, the DNR said. So, with an improving walleye population, the DNR will allow some walleye harvest when the season opens Saturday, May 11.

That number will be announced in mid-March with the Mille Lacs walleye regulations for the upcoming season.

“We’re happy to announce that, with some very conservative fishing regulations over the past three years, walleye are now at a level where we can cautiously allow anglers to start keeping […]

In my Jan. 25 Outdoor News column, I reminded readers how, in August 2015, tribal gill-netters intentionally violated state law by setting a 200-foot gill net in Gull Lake, with encouragement from tribal attorneys and politicos. The intent: get charged, appeal based on “treaty rights,” and ascend the court ladder.

After Crow Wing County court personnel misinformed me that the appeal deadline was Jan. 9, my column wrongly reported that the appeal deadline had passed with no appeal.

Meanwhile, I learned that a formal appeal was filed by tribal attorneys Jan. 22. So that case, with potentially huge significance for a large expanse of Minnesota, is still alive. Will state courts, Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and other […]

In his January 25 Outdoor News column, Joe Fellegy reported on what appeared to be the end of an illegal gillnetting saga by Chippewa tribal band members.

recall that tribal members purposely violated state law in August of 2015 by setting a 200-foot gill net in Gull Lake. Their intent, based on their actions and statements by tribal attorneys was to “get charged, appeal, and ascend the court ladder – claiming off-reservation harvest rights and co-management authority.”

Three years later their case finally went to trial. The lone remaining defendant was found guilty and sentenced to stayed jail time plus nominal fines. Being misinformed about an appeal deadline, Fellegy column stated that, contrary to expectations, no appeal had been filed.

But then the Crow Wing court told Joe Fellegy that tribal attorneys indeed […]

In the January 25 issue of Outdoor News, Joe Fellegy’s commentary asks, “How will new state leaders handle outdoor issues?” He includes Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, and DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen as well as Attorney General Keith Ellison and other state officials working in natural resources management.

Fellegy rejects “premature judgments” preferring to “wait and see” where their natural resources management will take us. Of most importance to Fellegy—and PERM members—is where DNR leadership will take us.

He describes the themes of leaders’ statements as “general” themes and outdoor-related goals as “vague.” Fellegy believes “mushy generalities are good for now.” But his main concern is how the Walz-Flanagan-Strommen team will “promote and defend state and citizen interests regarding Minnesota’s natural resources.”

Bottom line, Fellegy wonders whether DNR’s Sarah Strommen will […]

Now that Gov. Mark Dayton, DNR Tom Landwehr and former DNR Fisheries Chief Don Pereira are out of the picture, let’s hope that Gov. Tim Walz and new DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen will fix the political co-management mess on Lake Mille Lacs. They need to figure out a new and better way to manage the lake.

After three consecutive catch-and-release-only open-water seasons, it has caused a drastic effect around the lake.

I suggest Strommen spend a couple of days up here. Have (Garrison DNR Fisheries supervisor) Tom Heinrich escort her around the lake to meet with the local business people so she can hear directly what damage this three-year shutdown has caused.
There are plenty of walleyes in Mille Lacs. On May 11, 2019, we wish to keep two walleyes, both under 20 […]