This Popular Minnesota Lake Will ‘Close’ Fishing For Walleyes Beginning July 1 For 15 Days

If you enjoy casting a line out on the water, you've got a tight window to fish for walleyes on Lake Mille Lacs. Starting on July 1st the walleye season will close for 15 days in order to lower the amount of fish lost to hooking mortality. Here is what the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants you to know about the closure.

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During the walleye closure, angling is allowed for all other species. Anglers targeting northern pike and muskellunge are allowed to use sucker minnows greater than 8 inches in length. But anglers targeting all other fish species must use artificial lures and may not use live, dead, preserved or parts of minnows, night crawlers, worms, leeches, or crayfish while fishing during this period. Catch-and-release walleye fishing will resume on Saturday, July 16, and continue through Wednesday, Aug. 31. The one-fish walleye limit is scheduled to resume Thursday, Sept. 1, through Wednesday, Nov. 30.

While there is a chance that someone will catch a walleye just fishing for other species the idea is to not openly fish for the walleye during this time period.

The Minnesota DNR states online that fishing for walleye right now is only catch-and-release through Thursday, June 30. After the season closure, there will be another season of just catch-and-release walleye fishing from Saturday, July 16 through Wednesday, Aug. 31. After that concludes those angling for walleye on Mille Lacs will be allowed only a "one-fish walleye limit" from Thursday, Sept. 1 through Wednesday, Nov. 30.

So get out and enjoy fishing for walleye while you can, and remember that the season will pause in just about a week, for 15 days.