- Leech Lake Northern Pike Slot Machines
- Northern Pike Slot On Leech Lake
- Leech Lake Northern Pike Slot Tournaments
- Leech Lake Northern Pike Slot Limit
With Leech, Winnie, and Red having walleye slots, do you think Cass should to? The reason why I ask this question is: I think anglers may end up going to Cass more often instead of a lake with slots and put considerable more pressure on the walleye fisheries and maybe end up putting a dent into i. The protected slot limit on Walleye was relaxed (from 18 -26 inches to 20-26inches) effective on the 2014 Walleye opener to increase angler harvest opportunity. 45 years guiding in Leech Lake area -one of the original inductees into the Minnesota fishing Hall of Fame. Northern Pike – 23 lbs, 4oz. Mar 01, 2019 Anglers will no longer have a protected slot limit for walleye in Leech Lake, but the bag restriction remains. Anglers will no longer have special regulations for northern pike in Lake Vermilion in St. Louis County, East and West Sylvia lakes in Wright County, Sturgeon Lake in Pine County and Big Fish Lake in Stearns County.
'Winter anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will enjoy a walleye harvest this winter for the fifth season in a row. Starting Tuesday, Dec. 1, anglers will be allowed to keep one walleye between 21-23 inches or one fish longer than 28 inches. This is the same regulation as the last two winter seasons.
“It’s good news that anglers will be able to harvest walleye again this winter,” said Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Conservative management continues to sustain good fishing on Mille Lacs.”
Mille Lacs was a popular ice fishing destination during the winter of 2019-2020, in part due to poor ice conditions on other large Minnesota lakes. Anglers put in a record of more than 3 million fishing hours on the lake last winter. In each of the previous three winters, anglers spent about 2 million hours fishing on Mille Lacs.
“We want to provide anglers the opportunity to catch and keep some fish when the walleye population can support it,” said Brad Parsons, DNR fisheries section manager. “As in recent winters, we’re confident that the walleye population is abundant enough to support some harvest.”
Winter regulations are set after the DNR completes its annual fall netting assessment. The DNR’s 2020 assessment found that the walleye population has remained relatively stable over the past four years, having rebounded from population lows seen from 2012 to 2016.
Harvest from the winter of 2020-21 will be counted toward the state’s annual share of walleye from Mille Lacs under the 1837 treaty. State anglers share harvest with eight Ojibwe tribes that have fishing rights under the treaty.
The state’s allowable harvest for the coming year will be set in early 2021 through discussions between the state and the tribes. The DNR will set open water fishing regulations in March 2021 following discussions with the tribes and the Mille Lacs Fisheries Advisory Committee and after the conclusion of winter fishing.
Conservative fishing regulations in response to population lows have contributed to the recovery, allowing the DNR to offer anglers a harvest opportunity in recent winters and in May 2019 during the open water fishing season.
Insights from fall assessments
While encouraged by the rebound in walleye abundance, the DNR is taking a cautious approach to managing Mille Lacs’ walleye fishery. Survival of walleye to age 3 and older has been inconsistent in recent years.
The 2013 year class – that is, fish born in 2013 -- continues to be the most abundant class of fish. These fish are mainly 17-21 inches long, with faster growing individuals exceeding 21 inches. Year classes from 2009 to 2012 were weak, and had low numbers grow to adults, while those produced since 2013 have had more fish survive to adulthood.
The 2014 year class is below average compared with those from the last 15 years. The 2015 and 2016 year classes appear close to average, and the 2017 year class is well above average. Since 2008, only the 2013 and 2017 year classes have been above average.
“We are encouraged to see additional year classes that will be contributing to the fishery,” Parsons said. “Having multiple year classes approaching maturity makes us comfortable with continuing to harvest some of the 2013 year class under this winter’s regulation.”
The assessment also looks at food abundance and walleye health. Perch and tullibee are the primary food source for Mille Lacs’ walleye. Perch and tullibee from 0 to 2 years old were caught in moderate numbers.
Walleye condition, often referred to as plumpness, remained lower than recent averages. The relatively thin condition of fish suggest that forage was limited during parts of this year.
Leech Lake Northern Pike Slot Machines
That lack of food contributed to the high catch rates in Mille Lacs early this summer. But that rate dropped in August and September, suggesting that the availability of forage improved later in the summer as fish hatched in 2020 grew and became a part of walleye diets.
Northern Pike Slot On Leech Lake
“A lower catch rate in the late summer can sometimes carry over into the winter if forage is abundant,” Parsons said. “But predators also can reduce available forage later in the winter, possibly leading to an improved bite.”
Information about Mille Lacs Lake, including complete fishing regulations, is available on the DNR website at mndnr.gov/millelacslake.'
Leech Lake Northern Pike Slot Tournaments
Well, it’s been an interesting week, instead of the cooler temps and rain we’ve grown accustomed too we’ve been hit with blue bird skies and temperatures in the 80’s making it feel more like July or August. It has pushed water temps into the upper 60’s and even some areas are getting over 70, but I can’t complain, well maybe a little. Warm weather such as this tends to send more people to the pool than walleye fishing, but nonetheless they are still trying.
Pictured below from L to R: Celia Gant from Minneapolis, MN – Zane Riediger from Wakonda, SD with his grandpa Doug behind- Jake Osterberg and his father Dennis from Belvidere, IL – all modeling beautiful mid 20 inch slot fish, the lake is loaded with these size fish, they bring a smile out of everyone.
Even though conditions may not be prime for walleye fishing there are still fish being caught you’re going to need to take advantage of low-light periods to get them, we had a full moon this past weekend and anglers that did some night fishing had the best return on their fishy investment.
Leech Lake Northern Pike Slot Limit
If walleye is your target species there are a few areas that I would recommend. First off, use live-bait, there are still shiner minnows available and as I’ve always said “if we have shiners, use them” this time of year gets harder and harder to keep them alive, but they are far and away the best choice when it comes to live bait, in a tie for second place i would grab leeches and night crawlers and tie on a lindy rig and drag them across the bottom all the while experimenting with different color blades and beads. With your bait of choice in hand head to the south shore of the main lake from Marshal Point just south of the resort all the way east to Bungy Bay there is more structure, humps and bumps with gravel and rock piles down there then you’ll ever be able to fish, watch your sonar and only fish the spots that you mark fish.
Pictured below from L to R: Kristen Roux from St. Louis, MO her grandmother from PA and her brother Danny, all smiles with grannies big pike! another shot of Kristen this time with a mammoth small mouth – The Roux boys Mitch, Danny, Nick and Stan and lastly a father-daughter photo of Stan and Kristen.
Now if action is more of what you’re looking for tie on a crank bait (shad rap or flicker shad) and head out to the mid-lake rock reefs, Northern Pike have been on a literal tear. Limits upon limits of pike have been coming in, not many record breakers, but all have been in the 3 pound and up range, which really makes for a good eater. We continue to offer free fish filleting service here at Big Rock, so bring them in, we’ll get dirty for you.
Pictured below from L to R: Mike Rogers from Fort Dodge, IA – Justin Rogers from Des Moines, IA with his father Mike – Jonah Rogers from Des Moines, IA and a shot of clan Rogers – Mike, Justin, Jonah, Dorothy and Don. From slot fish to eater pike, night trolled walleye and our harbor rock bass stocking program (not pictured) they have done it all so far this trip.
Thursday night of last week we were just missed by a severe thunderstorm and though the skies were a tad on the spooky side Walleyes decided it was time to eat, the image below is a screen shot of Justin’s phone in which he was letting his sister in-law know what she was missing. look at the time stamps on the fish that he and his father were catching, pretty awesome!
Justin is our web developer and photographer, he is responsible for the many outstanding photo’s that have been and his family have been coming to Big Rock for almost 30 years and we are over the moon that they chose our resort to be the place that they are expecting their first child, I heard they are having a boy and are leaning towards naming him Ray, sounds good to me! congrats from everyone at Big Rock Resort!
Pictured below the expecting couple: Justin and Jonah Rogers.
Featured image up top is courtesy of Rogers Photography – Justin was standing in the rocks along our shoreline looking south to capture the stunning rising moon.
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Ray