St. Paul – There may be a few changes to the fishing season and regulations on portions of the St. Paul River. Croix. The Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources are considering reducing daily catch limits for fish species while introducing an uninterrupted fishing season for walleye and other game fish on the river.
Both departments believe the changes will facilitate fish in the river while making it comparable to the season and regulations of the Mississippi River. However, some fishing guides and anglers believe this could harm fish populations and reduce the diversity of fish species in parts of the St. River. Croix south of the dam at Taylors Falls, Minnesota.
“Mississippi River regulations were changed several years ago,” said Kasey Yallaly, senior fisheries biologist for the Wisconsin DNR. “With this change and the reduction of bag limits in this system, I thought that the regulations regarding the St. River Croix haven’t changed in decades.”
Joel Stiras, Minnesota DNR metro river specialist, worked with Yallaly to propose rule changes for both sides of the river. Both believe such changes would benefit river and fish populations.
The Wisconsin DNR has already passed its advisory period and will propose six changes to St. River regulations on the Badger State’s upcoming spring ballot. Croix.
Four of the six proposals concern fresh bag limits, while one of the questions concerns the continuous season. One proposed rule focuses on a fish refuge near Taylor Falls Dam to protect fish as they spawn in the spring.
Charlie “Turk” Gierke, fishing guide on the St. River. Croix, said he agrees with reducing bag limits because it has been a topic of discussion for several years.
He said he is confused about a continued fishing season because he thinks it will hurt fish populations.
“The average angler is no longer the average angler,” Gierke said. “They are hardcore. The average angler these days might have been fishing tournaments 25, 30 years ago… There are about three or four places where they’re going to be concentrated and everyone knows where they’re going to be, and that’s the problem.
“And if these fish are going to be there for two weeks, they need to be taken out before they spawn,” he said.
With this continuous season proposal, there will be changes to the daily baggage allowance.
White and yellow bass would boost from 25 to 10 per day. Catfish will go from 10 total to various limits for channel and flathead. The proposed rule would allow the taking of five-channel catfish, one of which is greater than 24 inches, and two flathead catfish, one of which is greater than 24 inches.
The northern pike limit would boost from five to three, with one of those over 30 inches. The combined walleye and sauger limit would boost from six to four with a minimum length of 15 inches, and only one individual over 20 inches in length could be retained.
Along with the reduction in bag limits, a rule was proposed that would provide a fish sanctuary from State Route 8 upstream to the St. Dam. Croix Falls from March 1 to June 15 each year. Brian Nerbonne, fisheries manager for Minnesota DNR Region 3, said the fish typically move upstream to spawn.
“Many of our river species will move upstream to spawn,” Nerbonne said. “The area below Taylor Falls definitely meets those requirements. At certain times of the year this will result in quite high concentrations of fish, and if we have a continuous season and gigantic concentrations of fish, this creates the potential for gigantic harvests.
“Protecting fish that congregate here and during spawning seasons is a way for us to better protect the population as the season continues,” Nerbonne said.
A continuous fishing season would apply to all fish species except muskie and lake sturgeon. Nerbonne said the two species are uncommon fish in the river. He added that the continued season could lead to higher hooking mortality, so it’s essential to keep an eye on musky and lake sturgeon populations.
Together with Gierke, an angler from St. Croix Dave Orf of Wisconsin also expressed concerns about an uninterrupted season because he believes it will hurt fish populations.
“Ice on St. Croix occurs four to six weeks before the opening of inland navigation in Minnesota (fish) and three to five weeks before the opening of inland navigation in Wisconsin,” Orf said. “This long period of increased fishing pressure could have a significant impact on fish stocks.”
Gierke compares this proposed rule to Basin 4 of the Mississippi River. This area has a continuous season and is described as “bumper boats” from March 1 to mid-May.
The worry is that if the continuous season rule is adopted, many people going to Group 4 will go to St. Patrick’s Day instead. Croix. Gierke added that the best zander bite of the year occurs in the period before spawning, i.e. around March 1, and the fish usually do not spread.
“St. Croix is a very nice fishery for many, many reasons,” Gierke said. “One of the reasons the walleye fishery is so strong is because they are not stocked, and B, we catch all year classes every year. That’s why I’m excited about (the four-fish limit for walleye).”
The difference between Minnesota and Wisconsin is the time it takes for fresh regulations to be approved. For Wisconsin, it could take one and a half to three years. Minnesota could take about a year.
In Wisconsin, the DNR presented possible rule changes in the form of advisory questions in April 2022. The agency provided public feedback in the spring, and Yallaly said it received public support. This allowed them to move further in the process and send questions to the state Environmental Congress, a group of citizens that advises the Natural Resources Board and DNR on management of Wisconsin’s natural resources. The advisory questions received congressional support and were referred to the Natural Resources Board in January 2023.
The NRB adopted this package of regulations ahead of spring hearings in Wisconsin, during which the public will be able to comment. There will be an online questionnaire and an in-person meeting, and you will still be able to submit comments to WDNR.
If supported by the public hearing in April and the Environmental Protection Congress in May, these questions will be sent to the NRB in June 2023 for adoption. If the rules are adopted, they must receive approval from the governor and the Legislature, which usually takes about six months.
“We will work with the Minnesota DNR to pursue implementation in spring 2024.” said Meredith Penthorn, Wisconsin DNR fisheries policy specialist.
The Minnesota DNR will propose rule changes after public input this summer or fall. Online surveys and in-person meetings will be conducted to gauge public opinion.
If supported, the Minnesota DNR could implement rule changes for 2024. Stiras said he hopes the rule change will take effect March 1, 2024.
