MILLE LACS WALLEYE NOW — A LOOK AT THE 2026 SEASON

May 3, 2026

Strong harvest data, rebounding forage base offer hopeful outlook for the lake’s future

By Mashkodebizhikigahbaw Benji Sam

This past winter was a banner year for ice fishing on one of the Midwest's greatest lakes — Mille Lacs Lake — marking a welcome return to the strong tourism and business activity the area has long been known for. With little to no snow cover, anglers enjoyed exceptional ice safety and stable conditions from early December through late March on this multi-species fishing destination.

Anglers and travelers driving by saw the return of not just small ice villages across the lake, but entire ice cities forming on Mille Lacs. With expanded state walleye harvest regulations — allowing three fish over 17 inches, including one over 20 inches - along with the resurgence of one of the Midwest's hottest jumbo perch fisheries, anglers from far and wide came to Mille Lacs to enjoy the harvest opportunity.

But while the eye test suggests the lake experienced nearly tenfold the pressure of the past few winters combined, the question remains: how will this year's activity affect the future of the Mille Lacs fishery?

The successes and challenges of Mille Lacs walleye fishing have been a topic of discussion for decades, and the lake has become one of the most heavily studied fisheries in Minnesota over the past ten years. Through a system of co-management, state and tribal partners work each year to balance harvest numbers. That process requires multiple meetings annually, where biologists and representatives from all parties, review data and discuss the overall health of Mille Lacs Lake. At the most recent meeting, creel harvest numbers from the past season were assessed as part of ongoing efforts to maintain sustainable harvest practices for the future.

While the eye test suggested record numbers of anglers enjoyed the lake this winter, the data shows harvest numbers remained within the predicted range for walleye, perch, pike, and tullibee. Despite an estimated 1,601,959 angling hours this past winter, overall angler harvest totaled around 11,500 pounds — well within a safe range to stay below the annual state-allocated take. That means the state will likely not have to reduce the overall harvestable 2026 quota because of this winter's harvest data.

As an avid fisherman, this raises two thoughts heading into spring tribal harvesting and the summer angling season. First, we know there are a lot of fish in the lake right now, and the biomass of Mille Lacs has expanded considerably compared to where it was five to ten years ago. According to Mille Lacs Band DNR fisheries biologist Carl Klimah, that improvement is largely because invasive species have not had as severe an impact on the lake as they did during the past decade.

Klimah noted that zebra mussels, spiny water fleas, Eurasian milfoil, and other invasive species significantly reduced zooplankton — a key food source for baitfish and the lake's forage base. Studies of Mille Lacs during that period found that walleye populations often survived by feeding on younger year classes of walleye after tullibee, perch, and other baitfish populations declined.

However, more recent studies show encouraging signs. Increasing numbers of those forage fish are reaching adulthood again, and strong walleye year classes are appearing in large numbers — including the 2024-year class, which has yet to reach maturity, along with healthy showings from the 2021, 2022, and 2023 classes.

In layman's terms, which means spearing, netting, and angling on Mille Lacs over the next three to five years has the potential to be really, really good.

The second thought this discussion provoked was that the outlook beyond spearing and netting might be somewhat challenging on rod and reel at times where food is abundant on the lake. While the health of the lake is steadily improving, the growing forage base numbers may indicate that fish might feed in much tighter windows than many anglers are used to and there might be a much stronger minnow bite than what we all grew up with on Mille Lacs. While everyone loves to watch a bobber go down with a leech under a float, with such a healthy forage base across the lake, anglers may need to keep a high diversity of baits in their boats all summer such as minnows, leeches, crawlers, plastics, hard body baits, blade baits, etc. and will likely see a shortened window early/late each day or needing to fish windblown shorelines to find steady success in a boat.

Even the most well-known walleye destinations in the state experience cycles of incredible fishing followed by periods of struggle, and Mille Lacs is no exception to those natural swings. While other large lakes in Minnesota have not received the same level of media attention about the so-called "disappearance of walleye" that Mille Lacs has over the past decade, fisheries across the state are facing similar challenges.

In fact, Minnesota could see reduced bag limits in the future as biologists respond to increased angling pressure, spawning habitat loss, and ongoing struggles with forage bases. For anglers and tribal harvesters alike, that reality may mean a greater shared responsibility to care for the lakes we depend on each year.

So, moving into 2026, the overall harvest quota was set at 185,000 pounds split between the tribes and state represents roughly 13% of the entire biomass of walleye swimming in Mille Lacs today. This is still a long way off from what was allowed 25+ years ago, but the question that begs to be asked: did we all harvest too much, too quickly in the same years that invasive species boomed and plummeted the forage base?

Only time will tell. But with reassuring data from Klimah's office at the Mille Lacs Band DNR - along with the use of predictive models from the state, GLIFWC, and other partners involved in managing this great lake - Mille Lacs appears to be in good hands moving forward. Together, the goal remains the same: safe, ethical, and sustainable harvesting, whether that happens with a rod, a net, or a spear.

Tight lines, respect the weather, wear your life jacket, and offer your asemaa before your next adventure on the water.

BY THE NUMBERS: MILLE LACS WINTER

1,601,959 estimated angling hours this winter

11,500 pounds estimated angler harvest

185,000 pounds total 2026 harvest quota (state and tribal combined)

3 fish over 17 inches allowed under state regulations

1 fish over 20 inches permitted within the limit

What it means:

Despite record angling activity this winter, harvest levels remained well within sustainable limits for Mille Lacs Lake.

STRONG WALLEYE YEAR CLASSES EMERGING

Recent studies show several strong Mille Lacs walleye year classes moving through the fishery:

2024 year class - strong numbers, not yet mature

2023 year class - healthy recruitment

2022 year class - solid survival rates

2021 year class - continuing to contribute to the fishery

Biologists say these year classes could help support strong fishing opportunities over the next three to five years.