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.
-
Lorie Shaull/KAXERecreators will be able to buy licenses and validate harvests in a new licensing app. You'll still be able to make purchases in person and carry paper copies, if you prefer. -
Contributed/Rock Ridge Public Schools via FacebookThe Wolverines also have five students competing in the individual tournament, with other Northland entries from Cloquet, Thief River Falls and Crookston. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThousands of free trees have been distributed in the Bemidji area as the community aims to restore the storm-damaged canopy. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe 21st annual awards luncheon garnered 30 nominations across five categories, with a focus on how the community responded to the June 2025 windstorm. -
Megan Buffington/KAXESheriff Joe Dasovich said he still expects Elias Harper to be charged in the incident. Deputy Michael Cowan was shot in the thigh during a scuffle and is expected to make a full recovery. -
Near record-breaking heat expected in Northland; Kitchigami Regional Library System fires 2 managersPlus: the Federal Aviation Administration is pressuring the Red Lake Nation to return a Roseau pilot's vintage airplane; and the Beltrami County Soil and Water Conservation District quickly dispersed thousands of trees in Bemidji. -
Lorie ShaullA heat dome is setting up over the Upper Midwest, bringing temperatures significantly above normal and holding off rain. -
Contributed/CLCMinnesota State Colleges and Universities' board of trustees named Kimberly Lynch as the interim president, to begin July 1, 2026. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEAs northern Crow Wing County residents address damage from the May 16, 2026, Flanders Fire, officials remind residents of common contractor scams. -
Contributed/Nicole Neri / Minnesota ReformerInput costs are rising due to the trade war and the Iran war. Eight farmers have already filed for bankruptcy this year, double the amount for the entire year of 2024.
