15-inch walleye length limit in place for East Fork Chippewa River system in Sawyer County
HAYWARD, Wis. -- Anglers fishing on the East Fork Chippewa River system in Sawyer County are being reminded that the statewide 15-inch minimum length limit for walleye is in effect on the East Fork Chippewa River and several lakes through which it flows -- Barker, Hunter, and Blaisdell.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources resumed enforcing the statewide 15-inch minimum length limit for walleye on the East Fork Chippewa River last April after it was discovered there had been an error in the published fishing regulations since 2004. The regulation brochures and signs incorrectly stated there was no minimum length limit for walleye on the river and lakes in the East Fork system.
In truth and in previous brochures, the statewide 15-inch minimum length limit applied to all East Fork waters upstream of County Highway B and these waters should never have been advertised as being exempt from the statewide walleye length limit, according to Dave Neuswanger, DNR fisheries supervisor at Hayward.
"Despite concerns at that time that walleyes were overabundant and growing slowly in the East Fork system, the statutory basis for a walleye length limit never officially changed," Neuswanger said. "There are two legal processes by which a fishing rule can be changed and neither process was used to remove the walleye length limit on this system. Neither the Wisconsin Conservation Congress nor citizens-at-large had any opportunity to hear about or comment on these changes that first appeared in the 2004-2005 brochure."
Resumed enforcement of the 15-inch minimum length limit for walleye on the East Fork Chippewa River (upstream of County Highway B) and Barker, Hunter, and Blaisdell lakes did not require a public hearing or other approvals, Neuswanger said.
"No rules are changing. The only change is that DNR correctly publicized and started enforcing the long-standing 15-inch minimum length limit in spring of 2014."
Max Wolter, DNR fisheries biologist for the system, said he is pleased that walleyes less than 15 inches long will be protected in 2014.
"Like many other lakes in the area, these East Fork lakes have produced very weak year classes of walleye in recent years. Having a minimum length limit to protect the fish we do have makes sense," Wolter said.
Wolter also stressed the important connection between this system and the Chippewa Flowage, which has undergone recent declines in number of small walleye.
"We know there is a lot of movement of walleye throughout the system, including fish moving up from the Chippewa Flowage to spawn in the river. So the benefits of having more protection for walleye in the river and these East Fork lakes should have a positive ripple effect for the Flowage."
Wolter also submitted a proposal in fall of 2013 to replace the current regulation for walleye on the Chippewa Flowage (no minimum length limit) with a 15-inch minimum length limit. If that proposal receives favorable comments from participants in the 2015 hearings of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress and is approved by the Natural Resources Board, the rule could take effect in 2016.
If that happens, walleye harvest rules in the East Fork Chippewa River and the Chippewa Flowage would be the same.
"While these waters appear separately in the regulation book we are trying to manage the whole watershed. That should make things easy for anglers and will really help the whole fishery" Wolter said.