MILLE LACS LAKE, UNITED STATES: Ice fishing houses are pictured 03 February 2006 at Mille Lacs Lake, a two-hour drive north of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Mille Lacs Lake is one of the most popular destinations for ice fishing in the US. AFP PHOTO/Timo Gans (Photo credit should read TIMO GANS/AFP/Getty Images)
The walleye limit for ice fishing season on Mille Lacs Lake will remain at three fish longer than 17 inches, only one of which can be longer than 20 inches.
“Mille Lacs’ walleye population is trending in a good direction for both adult and juvenile fish,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. “We’re pleased to keep the current regulation in place for this winter and offer anglers this harvest opportunity.”
For yellow perch, the daily and possession limit will be 10. The change is a shift from last year, which began with a perch daily and possession limit of 20 that had to be reduced to 5 after the state in early March, exceeded its harvest allocation. The daily and possession limit of 10 is intended to provide state anglers the opportunity to harvest a meal of perch while also keeping the state within its harvest allocation.
Each year the state and the Ojibwe nations who retain harvest rights in the 1837 Treaty Area jointly set the harvest amounts for different fish species in Mille Lacs for the year. Fall netting data informs where harvest levels will be set when the state and Tribes meet in January. Once harvest levels for the year and the state’s winter harvest are known, the state may need to adjust regulations for the open water season that begins on May 9, 2026.
With northern pike increasing in abundance over the past two years to the highest numbers ever measured by the DNR, the possession limit will increase from three to five fish. This regulation retains a length limit of 30 inches that has been in place since 2020, which protects Mille Lacs Lake’s trophy-sized pike, while the possession limit increase is intended to encourage additional harvest.
Winter fishing regulations for walleye will be in effect from Monday, Dec. 1, through Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. Yellow perch regulations will be in effect from Monday, Dec. 1, through Friday, May 8, 2026. Northern pike regulations will be in effect from Monday, Dec. 1, through Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Winter regulations for Mille Lacs Lake are set after completion of the DNR’s annual fall netting assessments. The 2025 assessment found a slightly lower adult walleye abundance than in 2024, along with strong numbers of year-old walleye that have good potential to contribute to the fishery in the future.
Forage species such as young yellow perch and tullibee also are currently abundant, allowing medium to larger walleyes to fatten up over the summer and be in good condition heading into the winter.
Complete regulations and additional information about Mille Lacs Lake are available on the Minnesota DNR website (mndnr.gov/millelacslake).
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