Minnesota asks for comment on St. Croix, St. Louis, and Saganaga fishing rules

Minnesota is collecting early comment on a batch of fishing-rule changes before they move into formal rulemaking. A Department of Natural Resources news release dated Oct. 12, 2026, says the proposals are meant to clarify complicated rules and strengthen conservation. John Dunn, the DNR fisheries rules and regulations coordinator, is the contact named in the release.

On the border waters, the St. Croix proposal would line up bass catch-and-release seasons with Wisconsin and adjust angling limits for more than one species. The St. Louis River proposal would add Perch Lake to the boundary-water regulations, set a bass catch-and-release season, and revise walleye size limits. A separate item would change walleye length rules on Saganaga Lake so they match the statewide walleye rule.

Other pieces open several Otter Tail County streams, close waters including Musky Bay on the Mississippi River and streams near electric carp barriers, open water below Lock and Dam 3 and Lock and Dam 4, and let the DNR close Grand Marais harbor in the fall when brook trout bunch up there. The list also includes more commercial minnow harvest on some south-central lakes that had been closed, dropping special regulations at Crawford Lake in Wright County, clearer boundary-water descriptions on the Minnesota–North Dakota line, and corrected species names in commercial rules for Minnesota–South Dakota boundary waters.

Comments are due by 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, through an online questionnaire. The release points readers to the DNR fisheries rulemaking page for the specific language.

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

Source: Minnesota DNR — Seeks public input on several fisheries rule proposals (Oct. 12, 2026).