Mille Lacs walleye: 2014 harvest was lowest recorded

Minnesota anglers on Lake Mille Lacs killed an estimated 23,650 pounds of walleyes between Dec. 1, 2013, and Dec. 1, 2014, (the “2014 season”) according to the Department of Natural Resources.

A low harvest was expected. The state allowed only two fish between 18 and 20 inches to be kept (or one in that slot and one longer than 28 inches. Night fishing was banned for much of the open-water season, and the lake was ominously calm in terms of boat traffic.

But that number is really, really low. The only year that comes close is 2003, when an estimated 66,000 pounds were killed. The walleye harvest was surprisingly close to the northern pike harvest, which was 18,800 pounds in 2014. And consider that only two years before, in 2012, the state fishing take was an estimated 309,906 pounds. If I were to graph that, the word “crash” could not be avoided.

But … None of this is to say the lake is continuing any sort of downward spiral toward walleye oblivion. In fact, there’s optimism in the survival of the 2013 year-class. Those fish were not all eaten by big walleye, northern pike, or anything else, Rick Bruesewitz, Aitkin-area fisheries supervisor said. They’re 9 to 12 inches, growing and numerous.

Meanwhile, I spoke with a number of resort owners who were upbeat about the future — and the current ice conditions and darkhouse spearing opportunities. I’ll have more on that and the Mille Lacs picture Sunday.

Keep reading for the all the 2014 harvest data, tribal and non-tribal.

2014 harvest, in pounds (with safe-harvest quota)*

Walleye

State: 23,650 (42,900)

Tribal: 13,724.4 (17,100)

Northern pike

State: 18,800 (50,000)

Tribal: 3,937.2 (50,000)

* – State figures are estimates, based on creel surveys and computer modeling for hooking mortality. Tribal figures are exact amounts, as all tribal fish netted and speared are required to be registered.