Common Minnesota Fishing Violations
With spring just on the horizon, many Minnesotans - the attorneys at Loon Law included - look forward to the middle of May: the Minnesota Fishing Opener! There’s nothing like getting back on the lake after winter is over to enjoy time with friends to catch some walleyes, away from the house, work, and other responsibilities. This celebratory occasion is typically marked with the Governor’s Fishing Opener, which is happening on May 13 at Leech Lake this year.
Fun fact: the date of the Minnesota Fishing Opener is set by state statute to be the Saturday exactly two weeks before Memorial Day. Of course, you can get a Fishing License, required for all Minnesotan residents aged 16-89, before the big date to beat the lines.
No matter the fun involved, there are always rules to make it fair for everyone. As sportspeople, we have a responsibility to respect private property, game limits, and the assorted various regulations to ensure the sports we love can be passed down to, and enjoyed by, future generations. Some are common sense and easily determined by reading the Minnesota Fishing Regulations pamphlet, available both at the link and at stores that issue Minnesota fishing licenses, while others are less common.
One of the most common game violations people commit, whether it is hunting or fishing, is trespassing. Trespassing is when a person enters land that is legally posted with ‘No Trespassing’ signs without the landowner’s permission. It is your responsibility to find out who owns the land that you plan to hunt or fish on. Many landowners post ‘No Trespassing Without Permission,’ signs, suggesting that a friendly conversation or letter may lead to a grant of permission. Always ensure you have permission, preferably in writing, before embarking on an excursion on posted land. You can find more about public water access points at the MN DNR public water access website.
Unlike hunting, where baiting animals is strictly prohibited, bait is the backbone of fishing, and everyone has a favorite kind. However, there are still some prohibitions on what kind and how much bait you can have. You can’t import live minnows or leeches into Minnesota for bait. Many varieties of bait are largely unregulated, like worms and night crawlers, but special rules apply to minnows and leeches. You need a commercial minnow license to transport more than 12 dozen minnows or leeches and harvesting your own has special rules attached. You also should not dispose of unwanted minnows or leeches in the water; Instead, you should throw them in the garbage. Dead bait from states other than Minnesota has other special regulations that you should also be aware of before considering its use. Synthetic bait, or ‘fakebait,’ is mostly legal, as long as it doesn’t contain any attractants, either naturally occurring or artificially created. Using chum or any similar synthetic product is also illegal.
Catching/possessing certain invasive species unless transporting directly to a DNR office is illegal. Those species are white perch, ruffe, round goby, black carp, bighead carp, grass carp, or silver carp. If you catch a black, bighead, grass, or silver carp, you are under an obligation to report to the DNR within seven days, with picture if possible.
You may not use an artificial light to lure or attract fish, but you may use a lighted artificial lure, as long as the batteries are mercury-free. You may not leave your rods unattended. You may not use explosives or electricity to take fish, nor may you take fish by hand. You may only use one line during open water season, but two during ice fishing season - except on designated trout lakes and streams. You may only use up to three single-pronged or multiple-pronged hooks at the end of a line, all of which may only be between a 9 inch distance from the first hook to the last.
Finally the biggest problem many people have is possession. This is something that differs from body of water to body of water, state to state, species by species. Marking your fish clearly, ensuring that you leave a patch of skin on so the fish can be identified after being filleted, and keeping to the statewide possession limits are the surefire ways to ensure you will be able to follow these laws. Some fish that you can possess a greater number of have a daily limit as well. It’s best to consult the Minnesota Fishing Regulations to determine what limits apply to you.