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Change to northern pike special regulation on Basswood Lake, addition of sunfish special regulation on Basswood Lake, and removal of northern pike Special Regulations on the Garden chain of lakes in St. Louis and Lake counties.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will hold two open houses to collect public comments and share information on proposed northern pike and sunfish regulation changes for Basswood Lake and on the proposed removal of northern pike special regulations on the Garden chain of lakes in St. Louis and Lake counties.
The Minnesota DNR will hold an in-person open house in St. Louis County and one open house in St. Paul to cover all proposals as part of the statutory process.
The purpose of the proposed changes are to provide quality northern pike and sunfish angling opportunities while also simplifying regulations.
On all of Basswood Lake, the proposal would reduce the sunfish daily limit from 20 to five. The proposed change to the northern pike regulation would mean that northern pike from 30-40 inches may not be kept and only one of the two pike allowed could be over 40 inches. The fishing season would become continuous to match other border waters’ northern pike seasons.
On the Garden reservoir chain of lakes, the existing northern pike special regulation is proposed to end and be replaced with the Northeast Zone regulation where fish 30-40 inches may not be kept and only one of the two pike allowed could be over 40 inches.
The open house will take place 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24 at MN North College, Vermilion campus in room CL104 or CL110. Please use the door that is closest to the main auditorium classroom, which is to the right of the campus’s main entrance.
The statewide open house will take place 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Sept. 9 at the DNR’s Central Office, 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul.
If adopted, the special regulation will go into effect March 1, 2025.
Comments can also be made online by taking the survey with the link available on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/fishregs). People can also call the Tower area fisheries office at 218-300-7803, and emailed comments can be directed to [email protected].
