Our former walleye factory

"Our "Walleye Factory" as it was known for years, is now becoming the "Dead Sea" for our most prized fish."

Listen up anglers. The season has not even started yet, and already there is a dark cloud forming over Lake Mille Lacs. It is not as dark as the cloud was last year, but close. Our "Walleye Factory" as it was known for years, is now becoming the "Dead Sea" for our most prized fish. And how in the world did we get to this place? What happened?

Starting this year, there will not be one walleye taken from Lake Mille Lacs. Not one. You can still fish for walleye, but it is totally catch and release. And no live bait will be allowed. With that, the resort owners and the local bait shops are preparing for a dismal year.

First a bit of history. This lake and the land which surrounds it was owned by the Mille Lacs Band of the Ojibwe Indians. In 1837 before Minnesota became a state, the Band sold this land to the United Stated Government in exchange for hunting and fishing rights. The land was then ceded to the tribe. This treaty has been to court many times and has been affirmed all the way up to the U. S. Supreme Court. 

Why do I bring that up? Some anglers are blaming the Band for allowing the larger, egg producing female walleyes to become depleted. Some in the Band use a form of fishing that was used generations ago - spearing. This has been shown to be a false accusation as even tribe members who chose to spear must get a license to do so from tribal authorities. 

That being said, many anglers are still fearful that Mille Lacs might be going the way of Red Lake. In 1998, Red Lake was almost totally ruined as a walleye lake. Big in size like Mille Lacs, at one time Red Lake was as good if not better than Mille Lacs in producing eating size and trophy size walleyes. Then, between native overfishing and non-native overfishing, the golden goose was killed. Gill netting almost totally wiped out every walleye in the lake. 

Anyhow, that is the way it is going to be on Mille Lacs this year. The blame game will continue. The "Greenies" are blaming climate change for the water becoming warmer. Some anglers are still blaming the tribe's fishing practice. Most angles are blaming the DNR for not setting the limits and slots the right way. Still others say there are too many Northern Pike eating the young Walleyes. In any event, the lake is almost spent right now, and needs time for regeneration.

I have fishing this lake many times. The glory days of old might just end up being memories. Our great inland sea, our "Walleye Factory", might end up just being a darn good lake to water ski and cruise on - without the fishing poles.