Lake Menomin Walleye Regulation Change Meeting On Dec. 8

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host a public meeting to discuss a proposed change to the walleye regulations for Lake Menomin in Dunn County on Dec. 8.

The proposed fishing regulation change would remove the special regulations of a daily bag limit of five walleye over 15 inches in length and replace it with nearby Tainter Lake’s (Ceded Territory) current regulations. The DNR published the notice for the proposed regulation change in November.

Several people have requested a public meeting to discuss the proposal. The DNR will host a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. to provide information. The public is encouraged to comment on the proposed fishing rule change. Participants may join the meeting via Zoom or by dialing 312-626-6799 and using Meeting ID: 969 5583 1863.

The proposed change would reduce angler confusion about the difference in Lake Menomin and upstream Tainter Lake regulations. The change would apply Tainter Lake’s harvest regulation of a daily bag limit of three walleye over 15 inches, but not between 20-24 inches, and only one walleye over 24 inches may be kept.

Due to the smaller walleye population and less availability to suitable spawning habitat on Lake Menomin, the lower bag limit and protected slot would help reduce harvest and promote the survival of large reproductive females.

Overall, this proposed regulation change would simplify regulations and improve walleye survival and recruitment through reduced harvest, likely sustaining the naturally reproducing walleye population in the future.

Because it seeks to replace a special regulation with a standard regulation, the proposal can be routed through the streamlined procedures in Chapter NR 20.35 of Wisconsin’s Administrative Code. If enacted, signs will be posted at Lake Menomin’s public access sites before the change would take effect in May 2021.