A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.
In spring, eggs have been collected at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River, MN, since the 1920s. Fertilized eggs are transported throughout the state.
The fishing opener is fast approaching and Minnesota’s state fish — the walleye — no doubt will be a coveted catch for any angler.
First things first: walleye spawning season starts not long after ice out, when the waters begin warming into the mid-40s.
Recently, the Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River, east of the Highway 46 bridge, was busy with walleyes, Grand Rapids Fish Hatchery workers and curious onlookers. The public is welcome to visit and watch the process.
1 of 4 — Workers and visitors on the docks at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
Workers and visitors on the docks at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
2 of 4 — Visitors read about the process of egg-taking at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.jpg
Visitors read about the process of egg-taking at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
3 of 4 — A worker on the dock at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
A worker on the dock at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on the morning of April 25, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
4 of 4 — Visitors on the dock at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
Visitors on the dock at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
Instinct guides walleyes against the current of flowing water, and Cut Foot Sioux and Little Cut Foot Sioux are natural spawning areas. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources workers set up trap nets and sort the males from the females.
1 of 4 — Workers pull the net together to gather females at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
Workers pull the net together to gather females at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
2 of 4 — Female walleye are gathered together for sorting at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
Female walleye are gathered together for sorting at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
3 of 4 — Workers sort females at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
Workers sort females at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025. "Ripe" females with eggs are placed in the metal tubs while the rest are kept in a netted area until they're ready to spawn.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
4 of 4 — A worker sorts females at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
A worker sorts females at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025. This female is not yet "ripe" and is sent a netted holding area.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
Females with mature eggs, otherwise known as “ripe” females, are sorted from “green” females, whose eggs are not yet ready for spawning. The business of fertilizing the eggs happens quickly. Manual stripping is employed to extract eggs and sperm from the fish and into a pan that also contains water. Along with constant swirling to mix everything together and help break up the sticky mass, the eggs are fertilized within about two minutes.
Lorie Shaull
/
KAXE
A female is stripped of eggs at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.
Mud is added, making the eggs less sticky, so they don’t stick to each other and the pans they’re collected in. Then they’re rinsed to help remove much of the mud, allowing the eggs to get oxygen.
1 of 4 — Doyle Hass holds fertilized mud covered walleye eggs at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
Doyle Hass holds fertilized, mud-covered walleye eggs at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
2 of 4 — A worker removes a male walleye from a bin for stripping at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.jpg
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
3 of 4 — 02 A female is stripped of eggs at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
A worker strips eggs from a female walleye at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025. After mixing the eggs with sperm, they become fertilized within about two minutes.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
4 of 4 — Doyle Hass rocks a sieve containing fertilized walleye eggs at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025.jpg
Doyle Hass rocks a sieve containing fertilized walleye eggs at Cut Foot Sioux walleye spawning site in Deer River on April 25, 2025. The eggs have been mixed with mud to prevent stickiness and are then rinsed in temperature controlled water before transportation to the Grand Rapids Hatchery.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
Fertilized eggs are kept at controlled temperatures and transported down to the Grand Rapids Hatchery.
From Grand Rapids, eggs are distributed around the state. The largest quota goes to the Waterville Hatchery, where eggs are hatched for West Metro area fisheries and the Windom area fisheries. Grand Rapids Hatchery will also raise fingerlings to distribute back into Cut Foot and Little Cut Foot as well as other areas around Grand Rapids.
Hear our weekly conversation with KAXE Early Bird Fishing Guide Jeff Sundin above, as he talks about what goes on at the Cut Foot Sioux site and more!
1 of 5 — 02 A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.jpg
A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
2 of 5 — A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.jpg
A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
3 of 5 — Female walleyes at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.jpg
Female walleyes at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
4 of 5 — 03 A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.jpg
A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
5 of 5 — 04 A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.jpg
A female walleye at the Cut Foot Sioux spawning site in Deer River on April 24, 2025.
Lorie Shaull has dedicated countless hours behind the scenes to bringing the stories of our news, KAXE Morning Show and music departments to life with her beautiful and compelling images.
