Winter Trout Fishing

     I’m not happy the Minnesota DNR changed the opener for Lake Trout ice fishing in the Boundary Waters.  The opener has historically been on the 1st of January allowing anglers to start the new year out with a winter fishing trip.  Now the BWCA Lake Trout opener is the same date as the rest of Minnesota.  It’s kind of a bummer for resorts up here who will lose two weeks of ice angler’s business but even a bigger bummer for us residents who love to ice fish over Christmas break.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Trout anglers reminded of new winter season dates for 2009 (December 16, 2008)

 

The 2009 winter season for lake and stream trout in all Minnesota lakes will open Jan. 15, and close March 31, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

In past years, winter trout season dates were different for Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) lakes, trout lakes outside the BWCAW and those on the Canadian border. Legislation enacted after the 2008 Fishing Regulations booklet was printed changed the winter trout season dates for all lakes, making the information printed on pages 14, 15 and 45 incorrect.

The only exception to the statewide winter season is that lakes in Becker, Beltrami, Cass, Crow Wing and Hubbard counties are closed to winter stream trout fishing. Blue Lake in Hubbard County is the only lake within those counties where stream trout can be caught during the winter season.

Winter season dates for lake trout and stream trout in lakes, as well as other corrections and changes that have occurred since the 2008 Fishing Regulations booklet was published, are listed online.