Yellow Bass Limit Increase Now Proposed On Several Minnesota Lakes

Potential good news arrived recently for anglers in a portion of Minnesota who enjoy catching fishing for yellow bass.

Though they are often overlooked compared to other panfish like crappie and bluegill, yellow bass are generally good to eat. Their meat is flaky, has a sweet flavor, and can be delicious when fried, similar to crappie. For the best taste, connoisseurs say to remember to remove the red bloodline along the fillet and consider soaking smaller fish whole before cooking them.

Now, due to an abundance of yellow bass in southern Minnesota lakes, where they are not a native species, officials have proposed increasing the daily limit.

Minnesota DNR Proposes An Increase In Daily Limit For Yellow Bass

The Minnesota DNR is proposing a significant increase to the daily limit for yellow bass in the Fairmont chain of lakes (Amber, Hall, Budd, Sisseton, and George) in Martin County, as well as in Lake Imogene in Martin County and Clear Lake in Jackson County.

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The proposed special regulation would increase the daily possession limit on yellow bass from 30 to 100.

“While yellow bass is a native species in the Mississippi River, it is not native in southern Minnesota lakes but now makes up a significant portion of the fish in the Fairmont chain of lakes,” said Ryan Doorenbos, Windom area fisheries supervisor.

Doorenbos adds that their fisheries surveys showed an abundance of yellow bass in the Fairmount chain of lakes, increasing from zero in 2013 to nearly 300 per net in just four years. Therefore, yellow bass now dominate the overall fish community, and their numbers continue to increase.

The DNR had placed a 30-fish limit on the species ahead of the 2025 fishing season to align with a statewide goal to remove unlimited harvests for the species. However, as staff in the area communicated to local anglers, there was the expectation that a special regulation specific to the area could be pursued to potentially increase that limit on the Fairmont chain.

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Craig Soupir, DNR southern region fisheries manager, believes the proposed 100-fish special regulation is a "logical and well-supported step that aligns with both biological management objectives and social expectations for Fairmont area lakes."

What Happens Next With The Proposed Increase?

A public input meeting regarding the proposal will be held from 6 pm to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10, at the Fairmont Public Library, located at 110 N. Park St. in Fairmont. DNR staff will give a short presentation summarizing the status of fish populations in the proposed lakes, and attendees will be given the opportunity to ask questions and offer comments.

For those unable to attend in person, an online option for the September 10 meeting will be available on the Windom area fisheries page.