It’s Mother’s Day and the opening of the fishing season this weekend, and for many Minnesotans, both the official and unofficial holiday will be celebrated side by side.
Moms who live in Minnesota are invited to join a free virtual fishing challenge Saturday, May 13, through Sunday, May 14, during Take a Mom Fishing Weekend, when all Minnesota moms can fish without purchasing a fishing license.
Sarah Strommen, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, joined the KAXE Morning Show on Thursday, May 11, to talk about the state’s fishing opener and fisheries, efforts to bolster the economic impact of outdoor activities and programs encouraging a love for the natural world. Strommen will open the season on Madison Lake in Mankato as part of the Governor’s Fishing Opener event.
“Fishing is a $4.4 billion industry in the state of Minnesota, and so that is a huge contribution to our economy,” Strommen said. “And then when you think about the contributions economically that it makes to communities all across the state, and we'll see that in Mankato this weekend.
“… The community kind of swells and there's this energy around fishing, and certainly we see that in communities all across Minnesota this weekend.”
To participate in the Mother’s Day weekend fishing challenge, moms simply need to join the Minnesota Moms Fishing Challenge Facebook group and submit one photo of each fish they catch. All participants who submit a fish will be entered in a random drawing for more than 100 prizes provided by the Student Anglers Organization. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is partnering with the Student Anglers Organization to organize the challenge.
“… The community kind of swells and there's this energy around fishing, and certainly we see that in communities all across Minnesota this weekend.”Sarah Strommen
Listen to more of Strommen’s Morning Show conversation above.
Get fishing questions answered
Excited for fishing opener? If you have questions as you prepare, check out the DNR fishing page before heading out to the water. The page is a mobile-friendly destination for information on when, where and how to fish, the agency stated.
You can also find links to LakeFinder, which provides maps and detailed information on lakes throughout the state, and the StreamFinder tool that provides a description, species list, regulations and access information for trout streams throughout Minnesota.
The 2023 Minnesota Fishing Regulations are also available on the page, and in print where DNR licenses are sold.
Limit aquatic invasive impacts
With fishing season here, remember invasive species can and do impact water quality and the aquatic food chain. Doing your part to clean, drain and dry your boat and gear helps reduce their spread, the DNR stated.
Fisheries biologists monitoring Mille Lacs Lake discovered zebra mussels and spiny water flea offset each other’s impacts on water clarity. Zebra mussels filtered algae out of the water column, increasing water clarity in late spring. But spiny water fleas consumed native zooplankton, which left more algae that decreased water clarity later in the summer.
Although the research did not document a significant change in water clarity, interplay between invasive species can complicate lake biology, produce unexpected outcomes and have large impacts on a lake’s food web. Those factors can and do impact a lake and the aquatic creatures that call it home.
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
