Lucky Fish

     Most of the lakes on the Gunflint Trail are deep and we’re lucky for that.  We rarely have lakes that are affected by what’s called a, "Winter Kill."  Our fish are nice and cozy waiting to be caught underneath the snow covered ice while some fish in Minnesota are not so lucky.

More Southern Minnesota lakes experiencing winterkill conditions

 

            Snow and frigid temperatures are combining to make more of southern Minnesota ‘s shallow lakes susceptible to winterkill conditions, prompting the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to open them to liberalized fishing.

            Winterkill conditions are created when sunlight is unable to penetrate the ice and oxygen levels in the water drop. Fish are often unable to survive in these low oxygen conditions.

            "Rather than just let those fish go to waste, so to speak, we try to give anglers an opportunity to instead harvest as many of them as they want," explained Jack Lauer, acting fisheries manager for the DNR Southern Region at New Ulm.  

            Under liberalized fishing regulations, a resident angling license is required and you cannot take fish through the use of seines, hoop nets, fyke nets or explosives. However, fish can be taken in any amount by spear, gillnet or angling. It is legal to sell any rough fish taken.

 From the MN DNR