Walleye limits for Mille Lacs, Upper Red Lakes announced for winter season

Anglers who frequently travel to Mille Lacs and Upper Red Lakes will want to make sure they know about the limits announced by the DNR on Wednesday for walleye during the upcoming ice fishing season.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says ice anglers on Mille Lacs Lake will be able to keep up to two of the Minnesota-renowned fish that are 18-20 inches long, or one walleye 18-20 inches and one walleye longer than 28 inches.

The DNR said the winter limit will be a continuation of the “more liberal limit” the agency had used during the fall season. That limit was implemented after the DNR reported a higher abundance of walleye than last year, as well as a strong population of juvenile fish.

“Mille Lacs’ walleye population is trending in a good direction for both adult and juvenile fish,” said Brad Parsons, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries section manager. “Juvenile perch and tullibee, important forage species for walleye, also are abundant.”

The limit will be in effect from December 1 until February 23, 2025.

Meanwhile, the DNR says anglers on Upper Red Lake will have a limit of four walleye, with only one of the fish allowed to be longer than 17 inches.

That limit was decided after what the agency calls “excellent results” in the fall netting assessment of walleye on the lake. This past summer, the same limit was in effect. However, the limit in mid-May through the month of June was three.

Complete winter fishing regulations for both lakes are available on the DNR website