Upper Red Lake winter walleye limit set at 4

WASKISH — Upper Red Lake walleye anglers will be allowed a four-fish possession limit this winter, with one walleye longer than 17 inches allowed.

The open water limit was five fish this year, but the Department of Natural Resources is dropping the bag limit to four because the winter fishery is so popular, the agency said in a Tuesday, Oct. 28, news release.

The DNR collaborates with Red Lake Nation on walleye management on Upper Red, with management governed by a joint harvest plan agreed upon by the Red Lake Fisheries Technical Committee.

Fall netting showed the walleye population is in excellent shape and the lake is full of fish of all sizes.

The fall net catch was 50.9 walleye per net, the highest since 2014. Half of the catch was between 13 and 16 inches, and there were "good numbers" of fish in the 17- to 20-inch range.

"The state waters of Upper Red Lake had an even higher number of spawning aged female walleye than last year," said fisheries section manager Brad Parsons in the release.

"We’re also seeing strong numbers of young walleye that are just reaching harvestable size, which should make for exceptional fishing over the next few years.”