EAGLE RIVER, WI (WSAU-WXPR) – The state Department of Natural Resources announced new regulations to northern Wisconsin walleye fishing on Wednesday.
Starting this May, anglers on a number of lakes in Price, Iron and Vilas Counties can keep a daily bag limit of three walleye.
But the fish must be between 15 and 20 inches long. If they want, one of the fish can be over 24 inches long.
DNR Fisheries Research Team Leader Greg Sass says the new rules will better protect reproducing female fish. “These regulations are aimed to slightly reduce exploitation on our walleye populations as well as protecting our longer and often older fish which are typically females and have been shown to increase natural reproduction of our walleye populations.”
That matters because walleye populations across the state have been declining recently.
In some lakes, the fish aren’t able to naturally replenish their populations. Sass says that’s likely due to a number of reasons. “Some of those include the influences of climate change and lake warming. With that we’re seeing increases in our warm water fish over time, species like largemouth bass, black croppie and bullheads in some places.”
But Sass says climate change alone doesn’t seem to be responsible for the decline. Invasive species, changing angler behaviors and overharvesting also play a role.
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