Thursday, May 9, 2013
Minnesota has the highest boat registration per capita of any state in the nation, and about 600,000 fishing licenses are sold in the state each year.
Minnesota’s walleye season officially opens at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and forecasts call for clear skies with morning lows in the 30s and afternoon highs in the 50s. Sunday, also Mother’s Day, should be mostly clear with highs in the low 60s. Read an overview of the metro area fishing outlook here. Heading out on Lake Minnetonka and in need of bait or a scouting report? Try these lake favorites for everything you need: Fishing licenses are required for all anglers and can be purchased at most gas stations, bait shops and sporting goods stores. Minnesota is the nation’s leader in fishing participation (28 percent of residents age 16 or older buy a license, according to the Department of Natural Resources). About 500,000 anglers typically hit…
Monday, May 6, 2013
Department of Natural Resources will be out in full force this weekend.
Anglers and boaters can expect stepped-up patrols and citations for violating the state's aquatic invasive species (AIS) laws, according to Lt. Col. Rodmen Smith, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Enforcement Division assistant director. "We are setting the expectation of the angling and boating public that they will follow the laws to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, that they will be checked for AIS violations, and that they will cited if a violation is found," Smith said. The increased patrols will begin with the walleye opener on Saturday and continue through the Memorial Day weekend and into the summer. Minnesota law prohibits the possession or transport of any AIS in Minnesota. Conservation officers and peace …
Monday, April 29, 2013
Direct spending of resident and nonresident anglers in Minnesota totaled $2.4 billion in 2011, the latest year for which information is available.
From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: The anglers who enjoy Minnesota’s sky blue waters are a powerful engine for the state’s economy, according to a new survey data released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Direct spending of resident and nonresident anglers in Minnesota totaled $2.4 billion in 2011, the latest year for which information is available. That amount included $1.4 billion on equipment, $925 million on trip-related expenditures and $41 million on various items such as magazines and fishing organization membership dues. Angler spending supports about 35,000 jobs. “Only three states had higher angling expenditures,” said C.B. Bylander, outreach chief for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Repair of six pipe leaks, coupled with a water conservation ordinance passed last year, have resulted in significant downgrades in Wayzata's actual and projected water use.
An article posted Tuesday on Lake Minnetonka Patch examining water use by area municipalities and based on figures compiled by the Metropolitan Council contained data some city officials say was incomplete. The post reported that the City of Wayzata’s water use is expected to grow 16.0 percent between 2010 and 2020—from 1.06 million gallons per day on average to 1.23 million gallons per day. By 2030, it’s expected to climb to 467.20 million gallons per year, far above the 350 million gallons it’s permitted now. Dave Dudinsky, Director of Public Service for the City of Wayzata, said those statistics were “based on projections and assumptions that may need to be updated.” “In 2010 the City performed a water leak study,” Dudinsky said. “…
Sunday, April 7, 2013
This winter we experienced exceptional early ice season conditions. As the winter progressed abundant snowfall quickly changed the ice fishing landscape. Travel conditions on the lake, as well as the weight of snow on the ice, created serious problems.
By Maj. Roger Tietz, Minnesota DNR Enforcement Division The 2012 ice fishing season is drawing to a close. For those of you who spend time on the ice, there are a few things we can learn from this year’s ice fishing season. These are important lessons, life’s moments that will someday be the “I remember back during the winter of 2012” that will be ever etched in our minds. So, from an avid ice fisherman and a conservation officer for more than 30 years, here are “Lessons learned from the 2012 ice fishing season.” Putting a fish house on the lake requires dedication In Minnesota we enjoy the opportunity to put an ice fishing or spearing shelter on the lake. The law allows us to leave it on the lake unattended. To be clear, I’m not focusing …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Seventy-five percent of Minnesotans get their drinking water from groundwater, but some aquifers are on a long-term downward trend that is not sustainable.
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Thursday, March 28
From the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Governor Mark Dayton is proposing a new funding structure to help ensure that Minnesota’s growing economy has reliable supplies of high quality water. The proposal is expected to be introduced in the Legislature early next week. Seventy-five percent of Minnesotans get their drinking water from groundwater, but some aquifers are on a long-term downward trend that is not sustainable. The drought has raised the profile of chronic water problems around the state. At the current rate of use, surface water and groundwater supplies may be at risk. The state needs more reliable information on water sources and how they are being used. The additional funding would increase the Department of …
Monday, March 25, 2013
Late this week and into next week could be the prime days of 2013 for syrup enthusiasts looking to tap into a Minnesota tradition.
Know of a syruping event taking place in the coming weeks? Have a sweet trick to keep the sap running? Share them in the comments section! Q: When I think of spring, I think of making maple syrup. What conditions produce the best sap output? A: During March, I watch the long-range weather forecast. When an extended period of warm daytime temperatures are predicted to reach the upper 40s or higher, and nighttime temperatures fall below freezing each night, the trees will break dormancy and sap will flow. Then I need to have my equipment ready to start tapping. In northern Minnesota we rarely get steady weather patterns, so we may get a few days of sap flow followed by none. Warm mild days with little wind that reach well above freezing in …
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Fines north of $100 could be levied by the DNR against the owners of fish houses violating state statute.
All fish houses and other forms of ice shelters must be off local lakes by midnight, March 4. Shelters may remain on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise only when occupied or attended. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officer Aaron Kahre, who spends about 90 percent of his time on Lake Minnetonka, said fines north of $100 could be levied by the DNR against the owners of fish houses violating state statute. Kahre went on to remind all recreational lake users to also take their garbage and other refuse with them when they leave the lake. Litter, he said, spikes around lakes at this time of year as ice shelters are removed. Related posts: It's not uncommon for the DNR to have to remove ice houses …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
After removal dates, shelters may remain on the ice between midnight and one hour before sunrise only when occupied or attended.
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Thursday, February 21
From Minnesota's Department of Natural Resources (DNR): Minnesota’s ice fishing shelter removal dates are approaching, and dark houses, fish houses and portables must be off Lake Minnetonka no later than midnight on March 4. Enforcement action will be taken if shelters are left after the deadlines. Those not removing shelters will be prosecuted. Conservation officers may remove the structure and confiscate or destroy it. It is also unlawful to store or leave a shelter at a public access. Anglers are advised to remove shelters earlier, if ice conditions warrant. For border waters, the shelter removal deadlines are: Minnesota-Iowa, Feb. 20; Minnesota-Wisconsin, March 1; Minnesota-North Dakota and South Dakota, March 5; Minnesota-Canada, …
Friday, February 15, 2013
Service providers doing business in the Lake Minnetonka area must complete aquatic invasive species training before being able to legally work this season.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering aquatic invasive species (AIS) training to owners of lake service provider businesses in Minnesota so they can legally work in the state’s waters. For lake service providers that don’t already have permits, the DNR is offering a number of training sessions in the next several months. The schedule is available at http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/rlp/permits/lsp/lsp-ais-training.pdf. Businesses are legally required attend AIS training and acquire a permit before being hired to place or remove water-related equipment from state waters. The law, passed by the Minnesota Legislature in 2011, aims to help prevent the spread of AIS. “More than 800 lake service businesses attended AIS …
