Mille Lacs Lake Summer 2023 Fishing Regulations Released
Today the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MNDNR) released the 2023 summer open water fishing regulations for Mille Lacs Lake walleye. We at the Red Door Resort are looking forward to the open water season and very excited that anglers will have the opportunity to harvest walleye throughout the open water season.
Here is a summary of the open water regulations:
Walleye: Starting with the Minnesota Open Water Fishing Opener at 12:01am on Saturday, May 13, 2023 and through Thursday, November 30, 2023, anglers will be allowed to keep one walleye between 21-23 inches or one fish longer than 28 inches. All other walleye must be immediately released.
Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass: All bass greater than 17 inches must be immediately released. Bass are catch-and-release only from Saturday, May 13, 2023 from through Friday, May 26, 2023. The largemouth bass angling season then lasts until Sunday, February 25, 2024. The smallmouth bass angling season is open until Sunday, September 10, 2023 and then catch-and-release only through Sunday, February 25, 2024.
Northern Pike: All pike greater than 30 inches must be immediately released. From Saturday, May 13, 2023 through Sunday, March 31, 2024 the possession limit is three. The spearing season lasts from November 15, 2023 to Sunday, February 25, 2024.
Muskellunge: All muskie less than 54 inches must be immediately released. The season lasts from Saturday, June 3, 2023 to Friday, December 1, 2023.
Tullibee (Cisco): The tullibee season is continuously open. Possession limit is five.
Perch: The perch season is continuously open. The daily limit is 20 fish and the possession limit is 40.
Burbot (Eelpout): All burbot must be immediately released.
From Monday, May 15, 2023 through Wednesday, November 30, 2022, night closures will be in effect on Mille Lacs. The night closures are from 10pm to 6am from Monday, May 15, 2023 to Thursday, August 31, 2023; and from midnight (12am) to 6am from Friday, September 1, 2023 to Thursday, November 30, 2023. Pike and muskie fishing – beginning Saturday, June 3, 2023 and with artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches – is allowed at night. Bow fishing is also allowed at night so long as neither angling equipment nor anything other than rough fish are in an angler’s possession.
We’re looking forward to the open water fishing season at The Red Door Resort. Watch our various social media channels for catch photos, lodging updates and relaxation opportunities. And remember that the north shore of Lake Mille Lacs is only two hours from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. Hope to see you soon!
The full MNDNR press release is copied below and can also be found here.
Current Mille Lacs Lake open water fishing regulations can be found here. Statewide Minnesota fishing regulation information can be found here.
If you want to reference the 2022 or 2021 Mille Lacs Open Water Regulations, you can read our that blog post here or here.
News release: Walleye fishing scheduled to be open all summer on Mille Lacs Lake
No July closure or live bait ban planned; harvest adjustments possible if conditions warrant
State-licensed anglers will have the opportunity to harvest a walleye 21-23 inches in length or greater than 28 inches throughout the 2023 open water season on Mille Lacs Lake. A lower walleye harvest this winter and an improving walleye population are combining to allow this year’s more liberal regulations.
“We are pleased to see improvements in both the growth of adult walleye and survival of young walleye in Mille Lacs,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “Those factors create the opportunity for anglers to have a continuous harvest season in 2023.”
Walleye regulations will apply from the walleye opener on Saturday, May 13, until the end of the open-water season on Thursday, Nov. 30. Unlike recent years, there is no planned closure to walleye fishing or ban on using live bait during the first two weeks in July.
On opening weekend, fishing will be allowed 24 hours a day. Beginning Monday, May 15, the night fishing closure takes effect, and fishing hours on Mille Lacs Lake will be
6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for all species. From Saturday, June 3, through Thursday, Nov. 30, muskellunge and northern pike anglers using artificial lures or sucker minnows longer than 8 inches are exempt from the night fishing closure. Starting Friday, Sept. 1, the night fishing closure is relaxed, with angling hours being 6 a.m. to midnight.
“As always, we will monitor the factors that determine the state’s walleye take throughout the open water season,” Parsons said. “If conditions warrant, we will adjust regulations, either to allow additional opportunity if harvest is especially low like it was in 2022 or tighten regulations if harvest exceeds our projections.”
The DNR and the eight Ojibwe bands that have treaty fishing rights under the 1837 treaty agreed Mille Lacs could sustain a state harvest of up to 100,300 pounds of walleye this year, an increase of 20,000 pounds from 2022. Adult walleye grew well in 2022, and year classes of younger walleye in the lake have the potential to contribute to the fishery in the future. Harvest levels are set annually, and may be lower or higher in subsequent years.
“The lake has been in a state of change since the 1990s. As the water started to clear, we began seeing warmer water temperatures. Change continues with the introduction of invasive species such as zebra mussel and spiny water flea,” Parsons said. “We will continue to monitor the lake to see how ongoing changes will influence the fishery.”
This year’s winter walleye harvest was 4,300 pounds. Lower catch rates for anglers due to abundant forage in the lake combined with poor ice conditions in the early season were responsible for this winter’s lower harvest. That drop in walleye take gave the DNR more flexibility to implement open water harvest opportunities this coming season.
The northern pike population in Mille Lacs is healthy, and harvest of fish under 30 inches is encouraged for anglers looking for another option to bring home a meal of fish. Mille Lacs is also home to a smallmouth bass population that opens to catch and release angling on May 13, with harvest of fish less than 17 inches allowed starting on Saturday, May 27.
“Our goal with regulations for all species is to offer fishing opportunities while also keeping in mind the long-term sustainability of the lake,” Parsons said.
More information about fishing regulations on Mille Lacs Lake, ongoing DNR management and research, citizen engagement and Mille Lacs area recreation opportunities is available on the DNR website.
