Mille Lacs 48" regulation meeting

[JJJ]

DNR to hold public meeting on Aitkin area fish regulations

DNR Reports

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Aitkin Area Fisheries, will hold a public input open house on Saturday, Sept. 16. The meeting will give the public an opportunity to comment on special northern pike regulations that have been in effect on Sissabagamah and Wilkins lakes in Aitkin County and on muskellunge regulations on Cedar and Mille Lacs lakes and the Mississippi River.

The DNR is seeking comments on the special regulation that requires anglers to release all 20- to 30-inch northern pike and allows anglers to have one northern pike over 30 inches allowed in possession.

Also at this meeting, the public can learn more about and provide comments on the proposed muskellunge regulations on Cedar and Mille Lacs lakes and the Mississippi River in Aitkin County.

The following proposed muskellunge regulation changes will be open for comments:

• Cedar and Mille Lacs Lake, minimum size for muskellunge 48 inches

• Mississippi River in Aitkin County, catch and release of all muskellunge.

The open house will be held on Sept. 16 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the conference room at the DNR office, 1200 Minnesota Ave. S., Aitkin. A 10-day public comment period, during which the written comments may be submitted, will follow the open house and end on Sept. 26.

A similar public input open house for the same regulation proposal will be held in the DNR Central Office at 500 Lafayette Road in St. Paul from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 29. A 10-day public comment period will follow that meeting, ending on Oct. 9.

Comments may either be written at the open house or mailed to: Area Fisheries Headquarters, 1200 Minnesota Ave. S., Aitkin MN 56431; or DNR Division of Fish and Wildlife, Box 20, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4020.