MN DNR seeks input on Sand Lake walleye slot limits

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.