Minnesota’s 2027 special-regulation survey stays open through Sept. 30

Minnesota’s comment window on 2027 experimental and special fishing regulations is still open. The Department of Natural Resources input page still points people to the survey, and that questionnaire says it stays open through Sept. 30, 2026. The online meeting on every proposal was Sept. 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. Comments can also go to the area fisheries office by email, mail, or phone. The general contact is John Dunn, fisheries rules and regulations coordinator, at john.dunn@state.mn.us or 651-259-5235.

The walleye item is the Namakan Reservoir lakes in St. Louis County — Namakan, Kabetogama, Sand Point, Little Vermilion, and Crane, on the Minnesota–Ontario border. An experimental rule from 2019 allows a combined possession of six walleye and sauger, only four of them walleye, immediate release from 18 to 26 inches, and only one walleye over 26 inches. The department says that rule has held harvest at or below the target and wants to keep it as a special regulation when the experimental version expires March 1, 2027.

A sunfish toolbox limit — 20 combined, only five over 8 inches — is proposed for German, North Ten Mile, South Ten Mile, and Rush lakes in Otter Tail County; Cedar Lake near Annandale in Wright County; and Hovde Lake in Cass County. On Mink and Somers lakes in Wright County, the department wants to drop the current five-sunfish bag, the three-walleye limit (17-inch minimum, only one over 20 inches), and the live-minnow ban, and put the sunfish toolbox in their place. Pleasant Lake in Stearns County would go back to the statewide sunfish limit. The daily limit of five did not improve the size structure.

Northern pike proposals run in opposite directions. The Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area mine pits in Crow Wing County — Huntington, Portsmouth, Sagamore, Pennington, Mahnomen, Alstead, and Arco — would allow a possession limit of 10 with no length restriction, so anglers can take more pike from pits managed for trout. Pine Lake in Cass County would tighten to a possession of three, with fish from 24 to 36 inches released and one over 36 inches allowed.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Minnesota DNR — Special fishing regulations input (proposals and meeting list, fetched Sept. 24, 2026). Survey still open through Sept. 30: 2027 proposed experimental and special fishing regulations.