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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | DNR NEWS – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ------ MARCH 15, 2011
Media contacts: Colleen Coyne, DNR communications, 651-259-5373; Tim Goeman, northeast regional fisheries supervisor, 218-999-7819; Dirk Peterson, DNR fisheries management chief, 651-259-5229.
Roosevelt Lake in northern Crow Wing County and the Sauk River chain of lakes in Stearns County southwest of St. Cloud will be stocked with muskellunge this fall in response to growing angler interest, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
"This decision is a positive step consistent with our long-range management plan for muskie and northern pike," said Dirk Peterson, DNR fisheries management chief. "Many people representing a wide variety of interests helped create that plan, and the desire to develop new muskie fisheries was clear."
Results of the DNR's extensive public comment process in 2010 showed that about 80 percent of the 25,000 comments received supported stocking muskellunge in additional lakes. The substance of all comments, regardless of support or opposition, were factored into the DNR's decision.
Muskie will not be stocked this fall in three other lakes the DNR was considering. Upper and Lower South Long lakes near Brainerd will not be considered further for muskie management. Stocking in Lake Tetonka west of Waterville has been put on hold indefinitely pending resolution of local issues.
"Although physically and biologically suitable for muskie management, the lakes initially proposed in the Brainerd area have public access issues that raise public safety concerns," said Tim Goeman, northeast regional fisheries supervisor. "Their combined 2,100 surface acres also would not meet muskellunge fishing demand in the Brainerd area, so we will continue to look for a larger, yet-to-be-identified lake for future consideration." No new lakes are currently under consideration, he said.
DNR will collect additional information on recreation use and user attitudes in the Lake Tetonka area and expand its public outreach efforts before re-considering stocking muskie in Tetonka.
Stocking muskie in Roosevelt Lake and the Sauk River chain is a step toward fulfilling a goal in the long-range management plan that calls for up to eight new waters to be stocked by 2020, focused on areas of the state without nearby muskie fishing opportunity.
The muskellunge is one of Minnesota’s largest fish, growing to more than 50 pounds and more than 50 inches in length. Anglers have become increasingly interested in the so-called “fish of 10,000 casts” now that 50-plus inch fish can be caught in Lake Mille Lacs, Lake Vermilion and other waters that have been stocked since the 1980s.
“As muskie have grown in size and abundance, so has interest in catching them,” Goeman said.
Muskie anglers are the fastest-growing segment of Minnesota’s fishing population. About 14 percent of Minnesota's licensed anglers target muskie, and the quality experiences Minnesota offers attract muskie anglers from across the nation.
Edited by Hammskie 3/15/2011 12:02 PM
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Posts: 2
| How awesome is this!!! Now we need to move forward and get a few more lakes on the ballot so we can get them going as well. Thanks for reporting on this Hammskie. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | It would be nice to see Kabetogama Lake stocked...... Good job you guys that worked with the DNR on this project.... To bad the other lakes were turned down.
I'm slowly but surly getting more work, soooo,... Any spare money I have will go towards stocking this year.
Thanks again you people who work hard to make Mn. muskie fishing what it is.
Jerome
Edited by Top H2O 3/15/2011 12:12 PM
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Posts: 470
Location: Blaine, MN | This is great news... I was really hoping for upper and lower south, but the accesses are archaic... it is weird how because the access can be a hazard no stocking will occur... musky fishermen would be putting boats in there in 8 years... but they are considered adequate currently for other fisherman and recreational boaters. |
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| Great news!
I am glad that the Long's got shot down in the Brainerd area! We have so many potential lakes in our area that I am glad they didn't burn two lakes to stock those sewers. |
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Posts: 56
Location: Southern MN | Hopefully things come around for Tetonka, not much opportunity close-by for those of us in the southern part of the state. |
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| I don't get why the dnr doesn't just add lakes that already have muskies in them but they don't really consider musky waters yet because of the low numbers of fish that have figured out their way into those lakes
and then also add more lakes :D |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Tetonka would be a very nice addition. Isn't the State record large mouth Bass out of there?
Jerome |
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Posts: 1425
Location: St. Lawrence River | I wish our NY DEC would take a more active role in stocking some of our waters with muskies. Very few choices in musky waters up here, but the interest level is still at a minimum, and doesn't seem to be growing by any notable margins. Good for you guys though, and for the sport of musky fishing. |
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Posts: 470
Location: Blaine, MN | not playing know - it - all but I look at them in the regs handbook every year... state record LM was out of Auburn lake ( I have never heard of it before) at 8 Lbs-13oz or 15oz. can't recall exactly which
Edited by short STRIKE 3/15/2011 4:48 PM
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| This is great news. |
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Posts: 642
Location: Richfield, MN | Top H2O - 3/15/2011 4:34 PM
Tetonka would be a very nice addition. Isn't the State record large mouth Bass out of there?
Jerome
Not any more!!! |
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| A big thank you to the guys who spent countless hours working with the DNR, lake associations, and general public to help get this through. While I am disappointed to some degree all the lakes were not approved, this is still progress and a step in a positive direction.
I know alot of things happen behind the scenes and there are people who put alot of time and effort into a thankless task. You know who you are. I hope you, your children and your children's children, are rewarded for the good deeds that you do.
There will be more opportunities in the future...you can count on that.
Thanks!!!
Brett Waldera |
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Posts: 670
Location: Otsego, MN | Agreed with B420, there are much better lakes to stock than those Long lakes! How about Pelican or the Whitefish chain, the chain would grow some absolute monsters! Thanks to all who helped get these two lakes stocked it gets the ball rolling. |
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Posts: 168
Location: Alexandria, MN | Our family has had a cabin on the Roosevelt chain for 50 years, and I grew up fishing those lakes. I started Muskie fishing in the early 90's, so this is literally a dream come true. I just wish it would have happened a long time ago. Roosevelt will be a great addition to the MN Muskie fishery - though I know of a few locals who are NOT too happy with the DNR's decision. |
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Posts: 470
Location: Blaine, MN | Pedro - 3/15/2011 7:43 PM
Agreed with B420, there are much better lakes to stock than those Long lakes! How about Pelican or the Whitefish chain, the chain would grow some absolute monsters! Thanks to all who helped get these two lakes stocked it gets the ball rolling.
Or maybe even Gull? |
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| Whitefish would be my first pick |
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| I'm very happy for the St. Cloud Chapter of Muskies Inc for their preparation and hard work on this, You guys earned it. I hope to hell the Muskie haters will be decent about the whole thing but I don't think the fight is over till those fish are swimming.
Roosevelt is going to be a great lake to grow Muskies.
I'm hopeful we can get a solid action from the DNR on Tetonka by mid summer but I'll not hold my breath.
Whitefish is going to grow giants, as a matter of fact I'd sell my house and live in a camper to fund that project. |
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Posts: 74
Location: Brainerd, MN 56401 | Glad they gave up on South Long. I'd vote for Gull Chain. |
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Posts: 35
| Thanks John but you helped as much as we did and everyone else who supported this great effort. You make a great point though, the anti's probably won't let this happen without a fight. The real time to celebrate is when they are released this fall! |
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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | Wish my parents still had the cabin on the sauk river chain. I always thought it would be a great spot for muskies. |
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| Does anyone have any idea if these fish will be able to swim down the Sauk River and get through the dam in Cold Spring and eventually end up in the Miss.? I would think it would be tough for them to get to the other side of the dam but that is just a guess. My gut feeling is that some fish could end up getting to the other side of the dam, but will never be able to get back up. I don't have much knowledge about fish getting through dams generally speaking, and also each dam is probably made a little different. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Dober, it doesn't matter since they're already in the Mississippi. In fact I had a follow not more then 300 yds from the convergence of the Sauk and Mississippi 2 years ago. I would contest that there used to be muskies in the Sauk River before we decided to #*^@ it up. |
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| there are catchable muskies between the sartell dam and 10th st dam in st cloud |
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Posts: 3156
| the dnr sez fish dont swim downstream,,,Im serious!!! at least one did,,he said take a minnow bucket and turn it sideways and let the water run out one end and the minnows will not go with it but fight to stay up current,,,again Im totally serious that was his opinion |
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| Yes I know that there are a few muskies from sartell dam to st. cloud dam. All natural reproduction too and those are the toughest fish to catch IMO. I have fished that stretch of the river more than any other body of water in my entire life. Although most of my experience is fishing it for species other than muskies I have caught a few muskies, couple real small ones and one nice one. I guess my question was more directed at how many fish (a rough estimate percentage wise) that are stocked into the Horshoe Chain of Lakes will actually do the leap to become a river fish for the rest of its life? They might have to up the stocking a bit in the Chain to make up for the ones that do the leap of faith.
Regardless of how many do leave the Chain it is nice to have it stocked and it's also a bonus that it will probably make the Sauk River east of Cold Spring dam and also that stretch of the Miss. a little better for muskies as well. |
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Posts: 168
Location: Alexandria, MN | Does anyone know the overall stocking plan as far as numbers, sizes, and frequency for the new lakes? |
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Location: Musky Tackle Online, MN | phselect, those numbers are all laid out in the proposals which you can take a look at here.
Sauk River Chain
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_wildlife/fisheries/species/muskie...
Roosevelt
http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_wildlife/fisheries/species/muskie...
As far as I know, they will stick to the numbers laid out there or at least close to that.
Aaron |
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| Whitefish chain. It just does not meet the criteria. Pike population is too high. Same in Pelican. The opposition would crush even a thought of stocking the Whitefish chain with Muskies. Wake up Gull has allready been shot down once. You guys must be out of touch with the MNDNR they have allready alloted money to study Bay lake for stocking muskies. The opposition is allready growing for Bay and it has not even been anounced yet. |
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| Sounds like Whitefish is a go, NMM (No More Muskies)
Edited by Muskiefool 3/18/2011 9:50 PM
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