Yellow perch limit lowered to 5 at Mille Lacs Lake

The limit on how many yellow perch can be caught at Mille Lacs Lake is being lowered from 10 to five.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said the lower limit was set to help maintain a healthy population. The DNR said yellow perch are a key species in the Mille Lacs Lake ecosystem and a primary food source for predators such as walleye.

“Many anglers have enjoyed good perch fishing this winter on Mille Lacs Lake, even better than last winter,” said Brad Parsons, Minnesota DNR fisheries section manager. “Our perch harvest each of the last two years has been more than double what it was in earlier years, going back to 2012. The perch population being high enough to draw significant angler interest is a positive sign for the health of the lake.”

Minnesota anglers share the perch harvest on Mille Lacs Lake with Ojibwe Tribes, who retain fishing rights by treaty.

To conserve population levels, the state and the Tribes jointly establish an annual limit on the number of fish that can be harvested. Each party then sets fishing regulations to stay within its share of the harvest.

This year, the state’s share of the perch harvest is 36,500 pounds. As of Jan. 18, the state has already harvested more than 17,000 pounds of perch.

Anglers can find Mille Lacs Lake fishing regulations and regularly updated data on state-licensed angler catches of walleye, northern pike and yellow perch on the Minnesota DNR website.
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