MN DNR Conservation Officer
Weekly CO report
District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2026-02-02
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked anglers on Lake of the Woods. The bite has slowed during the typical midwinter lull. Violations included anglers using too many lines and anglers fishing without licenses.
CO Nick Bruesewitz (Karlstad) monitored angling activity on the river and snowmobiling activity on the trails throughout the week. Investigations were continued on big-game violations that occurred during the previous deer season.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent the week checking area anglers and following up on various complaints. Violations encountered were walleye overlimits and transporting fillets in an uncountable state.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) reports that fishing has mostly remained slow, but the bite improved towards the end of the week. Enforcement action was taken for fishing without a license, no shelter license, and use of an extra line.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Baudette West) reports consistent angling success on Lake of the Woods. Prachar responded to a complaint of a pickup truck that had driven more than 15 miles up the state grant-in-aid snowmobile trail on Lake of the Woods. After assessing the damage caused to the snowmobile trail, Prachar found the vehicle hooked up to a wheelhouse and buried to the axles in the trail. A citation was issued. The suspect had local trail groomers pull him out. Resort workers also plowed roads for him to make it safely to shore. Other enforcement action was taken for angling with extra lines, possession of illegal-length fish, and no license in possession.
CO Bobby Stringer (Thief River Falls West) reports another active week on the Red Lake and Thief rivers. The week started slowly, but the bite increased steadily throughout the weekend. Good luck to all during the local angling tournament. Stringer wants to remind participants to check ice conditions before venturing out with large vehicles. Enforcement actions for the week included no angling license in possession, failure to display a shelter license, multiple failures to display snowmobile registrations, speed on a snowmobile, and unregistered Class II ATV.
Baudette East – vacant.
Blackduck North – vacant.
Blackduck South – vacant.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2026-02-02
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports spending time this week checking ice anglers on local lakes and rivers. Snowmobile and ATV operators were contacted throughout the week.
CO Jamus Veit (Bemidji #1) spent the week monitoring area angling and snowmobile activity. Some anglers were having success catching panfish, while the walleye bite remained slow for most. Violations encountered were extra lines, no license in possession, and expired ATV registration.
CO Andrew Goodman (Perham) patrolled many miles of snowmobile trails over the weekend. Area clubs have the trails in decent shape and a few more inches of snow on Sunday brought out a good number of riders. Larger ice shelters have begun to concentrate in popular areas, with the ice thickening. Fishing pressure remains high while success has been sporadic.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) spent the week checking ice anglers and snowmobile riders. Recent snowfall has really improved snowmobile trails in the area, and many riders were seen out and about. Swedberg also spoke with the Detroit Lakes Tribune about K9 Axel and how the team spends their days training to help other conservation officers and the public across the state.
CO Jordan Anderson (Osage) worked snowmobile trails and some lakes in the area. Trail conditions are decent, given the lack of snow, with many snowmobilers contacted over the weekend. Fishing has slowed down in the area. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display snowmobile registration, operating another motor vehicle on a snowmobile trail, open alcohol container in an ATV, and various angling related violations.
CO Angela Warren (Mahnomen) spent time on angling and spearing activity. Patrol for snowmobile activity was conducted, with fresh snow improving conditions. A complaint of possible trespass was investigated. Warren conducted a law and ethics presentation to a local snowmobile safety class.
CO Bill Landmark (Moorhead) worked on ongoing investigations related to deer season.
CO Grey Corbus (Pelican Rapids) spent the week checking ice anglers and monitoring snowmobiling activity. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license in personal possession, unattended fishing lines, and illegal-length crappies.
CO Brady Manteufel (Bagley) checked anglers, spearfishing activity, and the area snowmobile trails this week. Most trails appeared recently groomed and in fair condition. Abandoned and unattended portable fish shelters were investigated and no license on a fish house was addressed. Training with a county sheriff’s office was also attended.
CO Ryan Schaefer (Bemidji #2) spent time this past week checking anglers on area lakes. They advised the crappie bite is very good right at sundown. Time was also spent monitoring snowmobile activity, as area trails remain in good shape, with plenty of snow. Enforcement action was taken/documented regarding no fishing license in possession, failure to display an ice shelter tag, failure to properly mark an ice shelter, and displaying expired ATV registration.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2026-02-02
CO Hanna Wood (Fergus Falls) spent the week focused on angling enforcement and follow up from the deer season. She also attended the University of Minnesota-Morris’s summer internship/career fair and worked snowmobile enforcement.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) assisted with a snowmobile safety class, attended training, and worked fishing and snowmobile enforcement. A fishing derby was worked and monitored. There were several happy anglers.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports checking area lakes for angling and snowmobile activity. Equipment maintenance was conducted, and miscellaneous animal-related complaints were fielded. Enforcement action this week included angling with an extra line, unattended lines, and taking fish without an angling license.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked area lakes, anglers, and fish houses. Complaints about fishing activity on area lakes and garbage on the ice were handled. Station equipment maintenance was performed.
CO Jake Homan (Alexandria) spent the week assisting in the metro for public safety. Additional time was spent checking angling and snowmobile activities. Enforcement action was taken on a variety of recreational vehicles and angling violations.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) focused her week on heavy angling activity throughout her station. Lots of anglers were out on the lakes with a variety of levels of success. She encountered several violations, including minor consumption of alcohol, angling without a license, no shelter license, illegal-length northern pike, and illegal-length walleyes on special regulation lakes.
CO Curtis Jepson (Wheaton) monitored area trapping, angling, and snowmobiling. A call about an incidental fisher trapped out of season was fielded. He also assisted in teaching the laws and ethics portion of a snowmobile safety class at Wheaton High School. Enforcement action for the week included no fish house shelter license and operating a motor vehicle on a frozen body of water in a wildlife management area.
CO Emily Douvier (Morris) worked fishing and recreational activity. Enforcement action was taken for various shelter violations.
CO Andrew Ladzinski (Glenwood) dedicated his enforcement efforts towards ice angling activity. Anglers are reporting a slowdown in the bite the past few weeks. Walleyes remain elusive, but anglers are still catching bass, sunfish, crappies, and northern pike on many lakes. Enforcement action was taken for litter on the ice, angling with extra lines, and angling with unattended lines. A northern pike within the 22-to-26-inch protected slot limit was seized.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2026-02-02
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked angling and snowmobiling and followed up on and closed open cases. Training was completed. Cross responded to calls for service. Enforcement action was taken for snowmobile and angling violations.
CO Nick Baum (Park Rapids) patrolled the local area for angling and snowmobile activity. Baum found many snowmobilers enjoying the recent snowfall over the weekend and the great trail conditions. He found anglers in the area having varying success, with some reporting roughly 24 inches of ice around the area after the cold weather. Baum took enforcement action for various angling and snowmobile violations.
CO Landyn Saewert (Wadena) attended training and followed up on ongoing investigations. Area lakes were worked; the panfish bite has been picking up. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display snowmobile registration and no license in possession while fishing.
CO Patrick McGowan (Cass Lake) worked Leech and Winnibigoshish lakes for angling activity. Enforcement action was taken for numerous violations on the lakes. McGowan also assisted law enforcement agencies in the metro area.
CO Jack Lien (Walker) enforced ice fishing and snowmobile activity in the Walker area as well as the McGregor area with a partner. Multiple angling license and snowmobile registration violations were noted. Lien also rescued a black bear cub from a local residence and sent it to the animal hospital in Garrison. The hospital has reported the cub was very dehydrated and was given nutrients in hopes of rehabilitating it.
CO Levi Brown (Staples) checked anglers throughout the week. Over the weekend, Brown spent time at the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza, where around 10,000 anglers gathered to participate in a three-hour fishing tournament on Gull Lake. Brown spoke with many anglers and conducted regulatory checks.
ATV rec officer – vacant.
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