Special and Experimental Fishing Regulations - Public Input 2023

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is considering several experimental and special fishing regulations for the 2024 fishing season.

Each year, the DNR proposes several experimental and special fishing regulations. Experimental regulations have a set evaluation period (typically 10 years), after which the DNR must determine whether the change should become permanent. Special regulations are selected from a suite of regulation toolbox options that have proven effective at achieving specific goals. Special regulations do not have an end date, although DNR reviews their performance as part of an individual lake’s management planning cycle.   

The DNR is considering regulation changes on the following waters:

• Northern Pike in Gull Lake Chain (Cass and Crow Wing Counties)
• Northern Pike in Pearl Lake (Stearns County)
• Crappie and sunfish in Clearwater Lake (Wright County)
• Crappie and sunfish in Maple Lake (Wright County)
• Sunfish in 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th Crow Wing Lakes (Hubbard County)
• Sunfish in Lake Winnibigoshish (Beltrami, Cass, and Itasca Counties)
• Northern Pike in Balsam, Haskell, and Scrapper Lakes (Itasca County)
• Walleye in Big Sand Lake (Hubbard County)

Please complete this survey to provide your input on these potential regulation changes -- if you are not interested in any of the lakes, feel free to skip that question. This survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete and will be open through October 20th, 2023.