DNR Wardens are heightening their presence on the Minocqua-Tomahawk chain of lakes this summer to enforce catch-and-release rules for walleye newly in place this year.
As DNR Warden Dave Walz explains, a collaborative plan with the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission calls for extra monitoring to ensure no fish are taken.
“We’ve heard from the Walleyes for Tomorrow chapter, and the tribes, that they want to make sure this is working, and that there’s no harvest out there," he said. "So we’re doing a couple days a week, during the summer months here.”
An emergency rule calls for the Minocqua-Tomahawk chain of lakes to be strictly catch-and-release for the next five years, for both tribal and nontribal anglers.
Meanwhile other lakes in Wisconsin’s ceded territory have a new three-fish bag limit.
Walz says DNR law enforcement plans to be out at least twice a week checking in with anglers.
He says 98 percent of boats checked during opening weekend knew about the rules.
