District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2025-12-08
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) finished field training with CO Jayden Frank. Work continues with the muzzleloader season, and ice anglers are starting to hit the frozen waters.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week following up on various complaints and preparing for the upcoming ice fishing season.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) reports the cold conditions appear to have put a damper on a lot of outdoor activities for folks. People have begun ice fishing on Lake of the Woods. Enforcement action was taken for failure to register a deer.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports increasing angling activity on the bays of Lake of the Woods. Prachar responded with Lake of the Woods County Sheriff’s Office to an incident where an ice angler floated away from shore during a day with an incredibly strong south wind. Remember that no ice is safe and to use caution when venturing out onto lakes. Time was spent checking tip-up anglers and spear fishers.
CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) reports a surge in angling activity on the Red Lake and Thief rivers. Colder weather has generated between 7 and 8 inches of good ice, with no significant cracking or heaving noted. The bite has been good during both the day and evening hours. Stringer also conducted the law and statutes portion for the Newfolden snowmobile safety course. Enforcement actions for the week included angling without a license in possession, discarding litter on the ice, and operating an off-road vehicle within a city road right-of-way and city property where prohibited.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) checked the first of the anglers venturing out onto the ice. Time was also spent speaking at a snowmobile safety class.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Blackduck North) completed field training with COC Reuss. He monitored angling activity on Upper Red Lake. Ice conditions vary depending on where you are on the lake. Some pressure ridges are developing. Fishing was inconsistent with some anglers having limits of walleyes and some with only a couple.
Baudette East – vacant.
Blackduck South – vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2025-12-08
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #1) spent the week completing annual online training and checking area anglers. Some anglers are venturing out onto early ice and having success. Ice conditions vary from 2 inches to 9 inches of thickness. With the colder weather forecasted, ice conditions should continue to improve. Anglers are always urged to use caution when venturing out onto the ice. Enforcement action was taken for an extra-line violation, fishing without a license, and no license in possession.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) checked anglers out on the ice, spearing and angling during the unofficial start to hardwater season. Shallow bays and smaller lakes have solid walkable ice, while deeper clear lakes are still resisting capping over. Muzzleloader hunting appeared to lack participation, with frigid temperatures settling in. Additional time was spent on reports and handling wildlife-related calls.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) checked ice anglers and small-game hunters this week. There seems to be good ice on most lakes, with up to 6 inches of ice. Swedberg also assisted with a snowmobile safety course and spoke to a high school group about being a conservation officer.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) checked the first ice anglers of the season as the cold weather locked up most of the station lakes. Follow up was completed on public land trespass investigations and time was spent on seasonal equipment maintenance.
CO William Landmark (Moorhead) spent the week concluding field training with CO Corbus and following up on a variety of hunting related calls. Ice anglers started venturing onto area lakes over the weekend, with up to 6 inches of ice reported. Ice anglers are urged to use caution, wear a life jacket, and travel with another person when venturing out on new ice. Anglers are reporting a good panfish bite. Calls from the public included a variety of legal questions, reports of violations, and reports of injured animals. Enforcement action was taken for the wanton waste of a pheasant, trespassing, and the lend/borrow of deer licenses. Hunters are reminded that for party hunting to be legal, the person needs to be in the field participating in the hunt with you.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on ice angling activity with a few people venturing out. Ice conditions continue to vary, and people are reminded to use caution and check ice thickness often. Small-game-, pheasant- and muzzleloader-hunting activity was worked.
CO Grey Corbus (Pelican Rapids) started his first week in the Pelican Rapids station following field training. Time was spent continuing with firearms deer season investigations and checking ice anglers. Enforcement action was taken for the lend and borrow of licenses while deer hunting, failing to register deer within 48 hours of harvest, and failing to have a fishing license in personal possession while out angling. Corbus looks forward to the ice fishing season and getting the opportunity to meet members of the community.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) patrolled for muzzleloader hunting and checked some anglers on the ice. Reports for some of the area lakes were roughly 6 inches of ice and some ATV and snowmobile use on the lakes has already begun. If you are unsure of an area on a lake, don’t go; use caution and be safe. A livestock kill was investigated with a neighboring officer and an unmarked trap in a lake access boundary was also investigated. Discarded deer carcasses on private property were also investigated.
CO Ryan Schaefer (Bemidji #2) completed field training and began regular patrol duties in his assigned station. Time was spent checking local deer hunters as they attempt to harvest a late-season whitetail during the muzzleloader season. A small number of anglers began venturing out on local lakes, with reports of 5 inches of ice. Enforcement action was taken and documented for individuals failing to have their angling license in possession while out fishing.
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District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2025-12-08
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week working on follow up from the deer season, recreational vehicle enforcement, and waterfowl enforcement. Ice conditions in the area are variable, but she saw several portable fish houses and ATVs on several area lakes. She observed one ATV and wheelhouse on one area lake as well.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) took calls on injured animals including a loon, goose, and deer. Ice conditions and anglers were monitored, with some finding up to 4 inches of ice in areas. Muzzleloader season is off to a slower start with colder weather, but a few people continued the hunt.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports checking anglers and hunting activity during the week. Although area waters have frozen over, ice conditions are unstable. Use caution when venturing out. Brown also spoke at a snowmobile safety class in Herman. There were a lot of enthused young riders ready to hit the trails.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked area lakes for ice fishing activity. Most lakes are frozen but thin ice is prevalent, so please venture with caution. Goose hunters are still afield braving the cold.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week patrolling Douglas County. Time was spent following up on cases from the deer season and checking early ice anglers. Those braving the cold were able to find success with walleyes and panfish.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) spent her week patrolling the spike in snowmobile and angling activity. She checked several anglers who reported varying ice conditions. Znajda stresses to anyone traveling on ice to remember that ice is never safe. As the muzzleloader season continues, she has noticed less success.
CO Curtis Jepson (Wheaton) attended a meeting in Wilkin County on changes to the shotgun zone. He also attended a pheasant feed in Traverse County and had to adjust his duty belt when pushing away from the table. Enforcement actions taken this week included trespassing on agricultural property and operating a motor vehicle in a closed area of public land.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Glenwood) spent time checking anglers and continuing investigations on big-game cases. Anglers are starting to get out on the ice where ice has formed close to shore. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2025-12-08
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) closed open cases, fielded multiple questions, responded to calls for service, and conducted equipment maintenance. Cross reminds people that ice conditions vary greatly from lake to lake in the area and extreme caution should be used.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) spent the week working muzzleloader deer hunters and conducting ice fishing checks. Several wildlife-possession permits were issued thought the week. Time was also spent attending court and online training. Enforcement action for the week includes fishing without a license and driving after cancellation.
CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) continued field training COC Benjamin Xiong. The officers patrolled Upper Red Lake for angling activity. Numerous groups of anglers were checked. Many anglers found success and caught walleyes. Enforcement action was taken for unattended lines, walleye overlimit, and numerous ATV/snowmobile violations.
CO Jack Lien (Walker) has officially been placed in his assigned patrol area and has spent time learning the boundaries of his area. With the temperatures falling over the past week, more ice anglers have been checked, and ice is getting thicker. Lien would like to remind all recreators to properly prepare for their trips on the ice before spending time on it as reported ice thickness ranges from open water on bigger lakes to 5 inches on smaller ones.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) checked area lakes for early ice activity, and continued preparations for the winter season.
CO Jacque Johnson (Longville) checked trapping and snowmobile activity. She also followed up on ongoing cases.
CO Levi Brown (Staples) checked many anglers on local area lakes this past week. Most anglers had caught fish, but most did not have more than a fish when checked. Most anglers did not venture far from shore this past week as ice conditions farther out remain unsafe on most lakes.
ATV rec officer – vacant.
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