This past week, the Red Lake Fisheries Technical Committee concluded its hearings on a five-year walleye management plan for Minnesota's largest lake.
The plan outlines the actions expected of the committee member organizations and is designed to continue the success of the past several years.
The committee is made up of three main bodies — Red Lake Nation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) — and was formed to ensure the long-term future of the lake's walleye population.
“By renewing this agreement, we are reaffirming our commitment to a process that has delivered results," said DNR Commissioner Mark Holsten.
The lake is located mostly within the Red Lake Nation tribal lands, which makes it off-limits to non-tribal members. However, an area on Upper Red Lake is not reservation land and access is permissible to everyone.
Historically, the lake has been an excellent walleye location, supporting both a large number of naturally reproducing fish and a healthy population of anglers.
Towards the end of the 1990s, this changed and the walleye population crashed due to over- harvesting. The lack of predatory fish led to a boom in the populations of forage species, which crappie anglers took advantage of for several years.
With the formation of the Red Lake Fisheries Technical Committee, new regulations were enacted and the lake has made an excellent comeback.
Since the lake was reopened for fishing in 2006, anglers have caught more than 1.1 million pounds of walleye, an outstanding achievement considering the past condition of the lake.
The cooperation of the organizations within the committee has been key to the success of the program, and all three bodies have done an excellent job contributing to the future well-being of the lake.
“We are committed to ensuring that Red Lake walleye are managed sustainably in the future," said Floyd Jourdain Jr., chairman of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians. "Renewing this agreement will enable the Fisheries Technical Committee to continue its work to help protect this valuable resource."
Anglers also have a part in the plan, which includes following the regulations and practicing proper fish handling techniques. By returning unwanted fish back to the water within the proper amount of time, more fish will survive for later harvesting.
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