Mille Lacs muskie sets new state catch-and-release record
Eric Bakke holds a record-setting muskellunge caught on Mille Lacs Lake on June 11, 2022. Credit: Eric Bakke/DNR
A Princeton man can now claim he has caught the state’s largest catch-and-release muskellunge.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the new record Monday afternoon.
According to the agency, the 58 1/4-inch-long fish was caught on June 11, 2022, on Mille Lacs Lake.
Eric Bakke, of Princeton, says he caught the fish while trolling with a footlong muskie lure, adding it took a couple of minutes to try and reel it in. Eventually, his fishing partner, Jon Blood, was able to get it in a net. They then measured, photographed the fish and released it within a minute, Bakke said.
Previously, the largest catch-and-release record for muskie was a tie and was held by two fish caught on Lake Vermilion in 2019 and 2021, who each measured at 57 1/4 inches.
The DNR has record programs for catch-and-release length for muskie, northern pike, lake sturgeon and flathead catfish.
If you have a potentially record-setting fish, CLICK HERE to fill out a form, which will need to be submitted to the DNR with a clear, full-length photo of the fish.