GRAND RAPIDS — The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting public input on walleye slot limits on Sand Lake.
The DNR will host a public meeting 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Squaw Lake Community Center, 60162 County Highway 4, in S. Lake.
Sand Lake has a history of boom-and-bust angling cycles. The protected slot limit for walleye between 17 and 26 inches was implemented in 2016 to create more stable fish populations.
"Results show that the regulation is working as intended, with the walleye population stabilizing and including higher quantities of larger fish," the DNR stated in a news release.
The DNR is seeking comments on whether to keep the current regulation, modify the limit to a 20- to 24-inch protected slot, or revert to the statewide walleye regulation.
The bag limit is set the same as the statewide limit, with one fish allowed over 26 inches and a limit of six fish.
Comments can be submitted at the Wednesday meeting, by sending an email to grandrapids.fisheries@state.mn.us, by calling 218-328-8836 or by mailing NE Regional Headquarters, Area Fisheries, 1201 East Highway 2, Grand Rapids, MN 55744.
In a separate rulemaking process, the DNR is exploring reducing the statewide walleye limit to 4 fish, with that rule expected to be implemented in 2027.
-
Larissa Donovan/KAXEAs the district looks to trim $3 million from its budget this spring, community members, teachers and parents rallied against the shuttering of J.W. Smith Elementary. -
Contributed/Arrowhead TransitAll of the public transportation services in Northern Minnesota will be available on MnDOT's trip planning app and website by this summer. -
Contributed/Picasa 2.7 via FlickrThe Public Utilities Commission declined the request from environmental group CURE and said further discussion and regulation of data centers could take place in separate cases. -
Plus: The U.S. Senate is expected to soon vote on whether to allow copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters; and the latest in winter high school sports. -
Contributed/Sora Shimazaki via PexelsCyndy Martin's defense indicated they are still seeking a plea agreement, but Judge Heidi Chandler set a trial date of Aug. 31, 2026, for the alleged 2024 hit-and-run. -
Contributed/Detroit Lakes Public SchoolsDetroit Lakes senior Maggie Schander was also the vault, bars and beam champion and the runner-up in the floor exercise. -
Contributed/MSHSLWarroad, Proctor-Hermantown and Bemidji represented the rural Northland in the girls hockey state tourney. Bemidji was the consolation runners-up. -
Tim O'Malley said in a Feb. 23, 2026, news conference that lawmakers and administrations were made aware of vulnerabilities in the state's social safety net since the 1970s. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEOver 100 student-athletes from rural Northern Minnesota will wrestle at the 2026 state tournament in St. Paul, with a strong representation from the north-central region. -
Contributed/USDA Forest Service - Superior National ForestConservationists and wildlife enthusiasts are pleading with the public to demand that protections in the BWCAW concerning mining interests stay in place, with a key vote in Congress pending.
