Minnesota DNR maintains 3-walleye bag limit for open water on Mille Lacs in 2026

St. Paul — Anglers on Minnesota’s Lake Mille Lacs will have the opportunity to harvest three walleyes starting on the fishing opener on Saturday, May 9. Harvested walleyes must be 17 inches or greater, with only one over 20 inches.

“We are pleased to keep the three-walleye limit for the open water season that was in place late last summer through the ice fishing season,” said Brad Parsons, Minnesota DNR fisheries section manager. “We have heard from anglers that they want the opportunity to harvest walleye on Mille Lacs when the population allows, especially early in the open-water season. The lake’s continued health will offer that again this season.”

State-licensed anglers share the harvest on Mille Lacs with Ojibwe bands that retain fishing rights by treaty. To conserve the fishery, an annual harvest level is set through discussion and agreement between the state and the bands, with each party setting regulations to stay within their share of the harvest.

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This year’s harvest level reflects a slight decline in the adult walleye population that was observed in last fall’s assessment netting. Harvest is set at 105,300 pounds for state-licensed anglers and 79,700 pounds for tribal fishing. The state’s share of the harvest in 2025 was 113,600 pounds.

As was the case in 2025, this year’s agreement allows the state additional flexibility in managing fishing by state-licensed anglers. With uncertainty about how many anglers will fish the lake and how good the fishing will be, it is difficult for the state to precisely predict how many pounds of harvest will result from a particular fishing regulation.

This additional flexibility means that, if the state’s harvest is higher than projected when setting the regulation, the state will be allowed to keep the walleye fishery open so long as it does not exceed its share of the annual harvest by 15%.

The state will adjust regulations during the season if needed to prevent harvest from significantly exceeding its 105,300-pound share. These adjustments could include moving to catch and release only for a portion of the season, if needed.

Any pounds over the state harvest share must be deducted from the state’s potential harvest the following year.

The open-water walleye regulation for Mille Lacs will be in place through Monday, Nov. 30.

The DNR reminds anglers to protect Mille Lacs and all Minnesota waters from aquatic invasive species by cleaning and draining watercraft and equipment and disposing of unwanted bait in the trash. A decontamination station is available 24/7 at the Shaw-Bosh-Kung Bay public access on the west side of Mille Lacs Lake, about 8 miles south of Garrison.

Complete Mille Lacs fishing regulations and regularly updated surveys that show state-licensed angler catches of walleye, northern pike and yellow perch are available on the DNR website.