Stay
at Northshore Bay and Fish Red Lake - Just 40 minutes Away!
A
decade after the Red Lake walleye fishery was closed to anglers it will
once again offer the opportunity to fish its waters for Minnesota's
state fish - the walleye. Lake-wide assessment data
continues to indicate very promising progress towards walleye
recovery. Walleye abundance has increased dramatically from the
mid-1990's when the walleye population crashed. Walleye fry
stocked in 1999, 2001 and 2003 as part of the recovery plan have
established a large population of young fish. Recent DNR test netting
indicates the stocking of 41 million walleye fry in 1999 was a huge
success. So was the stocking of 32 million fry in 2001. Fry
stocking in 2003 contributed greatly as well. Over the next
several years these fish are expected to mature and begin contributing
to natural reproduction.
Red Lake is actually two shallow basins totaling 275,000 acres and had
been a successful commercial, sport, and subsistence fishery for most of
the 20th century. Its walleye population, however, began to
fluctuate widely by the 1970s due to overharvest. This
boom-and-bust cycle finally busted for good in the early 1990s. To
heal the ailing lake, state, federal, and tribal resource managers
joined together in 1999 to develop the Red Lake Recovery Plan. They
prescribed a total walleye harvest moratorium, stepped-up enforcement,
and science-based fry stocking. And they let nature take its course.
In
2006 fisheries managers from the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians and
the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources determined that the lake
was ready to resume limited harvest of its walleye population.
NOTE: Special walleye limits have been set for 2008. While a person is
on or fishing Upper Red Lake and it's associated tributaries, the daily
and possession limit of walleye is four fish, of which not more than on
walleye may be over 26 inches in length. All walleye in possession must
be less than 17 inches or greater than 26 inches in length. All walleye
that are 17 inches to 26 inches in length, inclusive, must be
immediately returned to the water.
Northshore Bay Resort is
located just 40 minutes from Red Lake. Stay with us and fish Red!
 Guided Fishing Trips
We recommend
J&K Fishing Guide Service.
They provide summer and winter guiding on Upper Red Lake and
other area lakes and offer both full-day or half-day trips.
Winter Ice House Rental of both day and sleeper ice fishing houses
is available.
Contact Joe or Kathy Karp at
218-897-5794 or 218-244-3614
for rates and availability.
You can also email them
at jkkarppl@paulbunyan.net.
IMPORTANT
DATES
Walleye
& Northern Opener - May 9, 2009
Lake
Trout Opener - May 9, 2009
Bass
Opener - May 23, 2009
Muskie
Opener - June 6, 2009 |