The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries hosted a meeting last week to discuss a proposed special regulation for Saganaga and Seagull lakes at the end of the Gunflint Trail. The proposed regulations for walleye would include a strict slot limit allowing three fish to be kept between 17 and 19 inches (one of the three walleyes can be over 20 inches).
If these regulations were enacted this year I would have not kept very many of the 20 to 50 walleyes that we are catching every day. Saganaga Lake has a large population of juvenile-sized walleyes that are not being reflected in the net data presented by the MN DNR fisheries. People who fish the lake regularly can consistently catch walleyes between 12-15 inches which are naturally born fish to the lake, not the stocked walleyes like many people have been assuming.
Netting a large lake for research, in my opinion, is not an accurate method for sampling fish populations— especially when it comes to a complex fish like the walleye. They are called elusive for a reason and Steve Persons, DNR fisheries, agreed that creel surveys which consist of interviewing the actual anglers of the lake being studied are more accurate but too cost prohibitive.
Since the MN DNR cannot afford to ask the anglers who fish Sea Gull and Saganaga lakes, it would be a great opportunity for the anglers to write Steve a letter. He will be accepting public input until the 7th of October so please let him know that we need to consider a better source of sampling fish populations before making a drastic 15-year experiment with one of Cook County’s greatest assets.
It is the DNR’s belief that protecting the younger fish while lowering the bag limit will create a stronger future population. This would have been reasonable to me and anyone else who fished Saganaga Lake 10 years ago when there were very few walleyes being caught, but now the lake is making a comeback without any interference from the government.
I say, leave Saganaga alone! Save your experiments for when the lake truly needs help (If it ever needs help) but do not mess with a healthy fishery. Saganaga may not be the trophy lake it was in the 1980s but it is still the best walleye lake that Cook County has to offer and being located within the BWCA it has enough regulations already.
The proposed special regulations are an answer to angler complaints—so the converse should be true as well. They will be reviewing data this winter before making a final decision for next spring. E-mail or call Steve with your thoughts.
E-mail steve.persons@ state.mn.us; call (218) 387-3056 or write to: DNR Fisheries, 1356 E. Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN 55604.
Cory Christianson has worked as a fishing guide on the Gunflint Trail since 2000. If you have any fishing or wildlife reports or stories to share, send an email to: christiansoncory@hotmail.com or call 218- 388-0315. You can also visit Cory’s website at Gunflintfishingguide.com.
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