The 2010 Mille Lacs Lake safe harvest level for walleye will be up slightly from 2009, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Members of the 1837 Treaty Fisheries Committee recently recommended the safe harvest level for walleye at 544,000 pounds, up from 541,000 pounds in 2009. The committee also recommended the yellow perch harvest level at 270,000 pounds and the northern pike harvest level at 25,000 pounds, both the same as last year.
Safe harvest levels are recommended annually by the 1837 Treaty Fisheries Committee to ensure Mille Lacs’ fish populations remain healthy. The committee consists of representatives from the DNR as well as the eight Chippewa Bands that have 1837 Treaty fishing rights.
DNR staff will meet with the Mille Lacs Fisheries Input Group in late February to discuss the state of the fishery and other issues. Currently anglers can keep four walleye up to 18 inches in length. All walleye between 18-and 28-inches must be immediately released. An angler can keep one walleye longer than 28 inches. This regulation is similar to regulations on most other large walleye lakes and supports the goal of maintaining a consistent regulation from year to year.
Last year, walleye angling harvest plus hooking mortality was 141,000 pounds. The state’s 2009 walleye allocation was 414,500 pounds. Several strong year classes of walleye up to 18 inches should provide for better fishing in 2010. In 2009, the allocation for the Chippewa bands governed by the 1837 Treaty was 126,500 pounds. Their total harvest was 101,220 pounds.
For 2010, planned allocations for angling regulated by the DNR were set at 411,500 pounds for walleye, 135,000 pounds for yellow perch and 12,500 pounds for northern pike. The allocation levels include angling harvest and hooking mortality. In addition, a maximum overage of 30 percent is allowed for walleye because 2009 fall population assessments indicate that the walleye population is in good condition on Mille Lacs.
The Chippewa bands established their walleye allocation at 132,500 pounds for 2010, an increase of 6,000 pounds from 2009.
Thanks for thisd update and inforamtion, Bobger. What is your opinion of this 2010 allocation? Do you see a decline in fish opoulation in the lake fro myour point of view? Thanks, Mike
Sorry for the typo's Bobber. From your day to day perspective, do you see an impact on fish population? It seems like a very large number i nthe planned allocations. Thanks again.
The Chippewa bands established their walleye allocation at 132,500 pounds for 2010, an increase of 6,000 pounds from 2009. The angling allocation goes up 3,000 !
I look at the fact that the netting and us anglers are year after year taking fish from the same group....( size ) while the netters are taking anything correction on that sorry!
I think the lake has a good population of fish right now. Along with a very large population of small perch in the food chain. So the bait might have some effect on the bite.
These numbers, 132,000 lbs for band members and 411,500 lbs for non band members are always troubling when one considers the individuals utilizing this resource.
The Aitkin Area Fisheries Office provided me a number (on average) of 120,000 individual non-band anglers that fish Mille Lacs in a given year. If these fishermen share their catch with 3 other family members, this equates to 480,000 non-band members that utilize this resource. Angler allocation of 411,500 lbs divided by 480,000 equals .85 lbs per individual.
A few hundred band members net and share their harvest with roughly a total of 30,000 band members. The band's allocation of 132,000 lbs divided by 30,000 members equals 4.4 lbs per member or a little over 5 times for non-band members.
I believe a fair allocation should be based on the total number of individuals sharing this resource versus one group getting five times the other group.
Thanks Doug and Thanks to Bobber on this information and your anlaysis. This allocation is a big deal for all of us that are Mille Lacs Lake property oweners. It is the long haul for us to keep the fish population protected. I hope this meeting goes well. My brother Tom was at the Perch and Pout Hunt. He said it was a blast. Way to go! See you soon for some spring fishing and party time at H. Point. EH?
Total fishing mortality for 2009: Anglers caught about 612,000 lbs. of walleye in 2009. Total yield (kill) was 141,333 by anglers, and 101,225 by the tribal fishery. That equates to a total kill of 242,558 lbs.. That's 55% below the safe harvest level of 541,000 for the 2009 season.
Most if not all resort people asked for slot to be relaxed to 20-28" in July to help increase business, but the DNR would only say they'd think about it. They're objection seems to be that a change like that would be against the groups desire of a few years ago for a consistent regulation. Input group members are of the opinion the state doesn't want the added headache or expense of monitoring the harvest if the regulations fluctuate during the season.
Since 2000, only one year did the harvest actually exceed the safe harvest level established by authorities. That year the harvest was 9% over the safe harvest level. All other years were 14-75% below the safe harvest level except 2007 which was basically a wash with the overage estimated at 0% +/- over the safe harvest numbers. The underage during this time span has averaged 39.55% below the safe harvest level.
Recruitment numbers indicate another good hatch for 2009 walleyes, but their survival thru the winter is in question because of their below average size (condition) during the fall surveys.
Spawning stock biomass numbers indicate a continuing downward trend in the numbers of males in the surveys. The DNR is not surprised or concerned about it at this point, saying that the downward trend is expected since the tribal gill net harvest is predominately males.
In short, don't expect to see any changes in the regulations this year, but rest assured that the issue of opening up the slot is being raised by the Input Group members.
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I hope my ship comes in before the dock rots away.
Thanks for the info.........was wondering if anyone asked about the pout population in the lake? I have read and heard a few conversations about the lack of them around. Also all the small perch in the sysytem right now
I would also like to see the slot opened up to 20 inches in the July time frame.....it would be good for the resorts, busineses around the lake, guides, and awhole lot more!!!
Thanks for this very good update. It is appreciated. A slot change would be most welcome - especially 20-28 inch slot. Lets be hopeful. Have fun. Malmo Mike
See you soon for some spring fishing and party time at H. Point. 
