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District 6 - Two Harbors
CO Sean Williams (Ely #1) reports a typically busy Fourth of July in the Ely area. Boating and ATV traffic was high between passing thunderstorms and the somewhat mild temperatures were enjoyed. Violations included no PFD on a watercraft, failure to display watercraft registration, and taking an illegal-length walleye.
COBrentIhnen(Ely#2)patrolled his station this week focusing on fishing, boating, and AIS activity. Ihnen also patrolled on ATV monitoring area trails.
CO Thomas Wahlstrom (Grand Marais) spent time working border lakes checking anglers and boaters. He also worked ATV-complaint areas. Enforcement action was taken for angling and watercraft violations.
CO Hudson Ledeen (Grand Marais #2) reports the holiday weekend provided great weather for the multitudes of people visiting the area to enjoy. Nuisance bears continue to be a problem. Paddleboarders are reminded to check the regulations to make sure they’re in compliance before hitting the water. Enforcement action was taken for angling, boating, and ATV violations.
CO Anthony Bermel (Babbitt) patrolled area lakes within and outside of the BWCAW over the busy Fourth of July week. Time was also spent investigating a possible wetlands violation and assisting the Lake County Sheriff’s Office with an elderly dementia patient who drove their SUV down the ATV trail, including through two gates designed to prevent highway vehicle trafficanddowna sectionofboardwalk. No damage was noted to the gates or the trail, but the individual’s vehicle was another story. Enforcement action was taken for angling with extra lines, unattended line, cans in the BWCAW, no PFDs on motorboats and on canoes, and expired watercraft registration. Onepair from Indianawasencountered on a seven-day trip in the BWCAW with no life jackets at all.
CO Don Murray (Two Harbors) worked the busy holiday weekend along the North Shore. Nuisance-bear and beaver activity continues to be reported with berries not quite ready and high water in the area. Murray responded to a report of illegal trapping activity for investigation. Enforcement action was taken for licensing violations and illegal camping activities.
District 5 - Eveleth area
CO Darrin Kittelson (International Falls #1) reports a very busy holiday weekend on Rainy Lake with lots of people enjoying the sunny and hot weather recreating, boating, and fishing. Enforcement action was taken for license violations and illegal-length walleyes. During an Operation Dry Water detail,boatingandsafetyequipment compliance was very good considering the number of watercrafts observed and checked. Some minor animal-related complaints were also handled.
CO Curtis Simonson (International Falls #2) reports spending time this past week working ATV activity and checking anglers and boaters over the busy holiday weekend. Enforcement action taken this past week consisted of youth not wearing helmets on ATVs, boat registrations, PFD violations, and illegal-length walleyes.
CO John Slatinski IV (Ray) reports anglers and boaters were insistent on partaking in the Fourth of July opportunities to be outdoors despite the lessthan- ideal meteorological character in thearea.Anglersarereportingatough bite overall but those willing to put in some time and try different areas are finding some success. A concerning trend observed this summer is the number of paddle craft (canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards) used on the bigger lakes without those paddlers having life jackets. Conditions change quickly, especially with weather patterns this summer, and paddlers can get into trouble quickly.
CO Troy Fondie (Orr) reports equipment repairs continue. Area forest roads and camping locations were checked. High water continues in the area, and fishing remains poor. Additional time was spent monitoring public water access sites and ATV activity. Administrative task completion is on-going.
CO Sean Cannon (Cook) spent most of the week monitoring angling and boating activity over the busy holiday. Some time was also spent monitoring ATV activity. The walleye bite remains slow in the area with anglers having to work to find fish willing to bite. Boating activity increased dramatically this week, and the extremely high waters are finally slowly receding, with Lake Vermilion dropping approximately 6inches since its crest. However, it is still quite a bit higher than normal, with many docks still under water. Enforcement action taken included fishing without a license, illegal-length walleyes, fishing with an extra line, unsafe watercraft operation, PWC operating within 150 feetofdocks,operatingwithoutnavigation lights, PFD violations, and youth ATV helmet violations.
CO Aaron Larson (Tower) spent time working angling and OHM enforcement. Larsonspenttimechecking anglers on area lakes. They seemed to be having a tough time finding success. Larson also spent time assisting other lawenforcementagenciesandworking recreational vehicles around town. He encountered violations related to illegal OHM use, angling license violations, boating safety equipment, and angling with extra lines.
CO ShaneZavodnik(Virginia)spent time working in a watercraft and on ATVpatrolovertheweek.Inconsistent weather brought mixed fishing success, with many anglers reporting the harvest success rate to be much lower compared to years past.
CO Duke Broughten (Aurora) spent the week monitoring fishing, boating, and ATV activity. Recreational activity was unusually low during the fourth of July week. Anglers reported limited success. ATV riders and boaters had to dodge rain but were able to get out. Water remains high. ATV and OHM owners are reminded to check regulations prior to purchasing their new toy. Broughten also fielded calls regarding bear sightings, OHM registration, and youth ATV regulations.
Water Resource Enforcement
WREO Dustie Speldrich (North Metro) assisted with CO Academy instruction. Over the Fourth of July weekend, enforcement action was taken for failing to remove boat plugs, operating ATVs without lights on, and failure to display OHM registration. Speldrich assisted with an ATV vs. vehicle accident.
WREO Luke Belgard (SW) worked angling, boating, and ATV enforcement this week. Wetland Conservation Act and public waters cases continue to be investigated. An AIS check station was worked in the Rochester area.
WREO Joe Stattelman (NW) spent the week working on open cases and corresponding with local government units and COs. Time was spent checking anglers and monitoring boat and water activity. A busy Fourth of July holiday and weekend was worked in Becker and Otter Tail counties. Response was given regarding apossible drowning incident in Becker County.
Aviation Section
CO Pilot Charles Scott (Grand Rapids) completed sketch-mapping flights and scheduled aircraft inspections. Scott and CO Fondie checked anglers utilizing the seaplane and violations were addressed. Anglers enjoyed the unique experience of being checked by aircraft.
CO Pilot Tim Gray (Bemidji) flew severalsurveyflightsfordifferentFisheries offices. Gray also assisted at the COAcademyasasafetydiverwhilenew officers learned water survival skills.
NR Pilot Brad Maas (Brainerd) worked on cattail spray preparation and helped install the aerial application equipmentonthehelicopter.Healsodid administrative tasks.
NR Pilot Gracie Zeller (Brainerd) installed equipment onto a helicopter for the cattail spray season. She flew a training flight and reviewed application techniques.
