Mitch Calvert
With the walleye season opening this Saturday (May 16), Darryl McLeod, area biologist with the local Ministry of Natural Resources office, is predicting another good year of fishing.
He did warn, however, that the cool weather this spring should decrease walleye feeding in the early going.
“Water temperatures will still be cold after an average ‘ice-out’ on area lakes,” McLeod noted.
“Anglers may typically find northern pike much more aggressive than walleye during the first week of the season,” he added. “Walleye fishing should improve later in May and early June as spring progresses.”
Anglers also will have to deal with high water levels right now.
“This may have some effect on fish location, but will have little effect on overall fishing success,” McLeod stressed.
A one-year sport fishing licence tag for residents (including an Outdoors Card) is $33.25.
A conservation licence costs $23 annually while a one-day fishing pass is $11.
Size and catch limits in this area remain the same for this season, with the daily catch limit for walleye and sauger (or a combination) being four for residents with a sport licence and two for those with a conservation licence.
Non-residents on inland lakes and border waters are limited to two walleye/sauger a day with a sport licence and one with a conservation tag, but are allowed to be in possession of four with a sport license and two with a conservation one.
The same possession rules apply for non-residents on Rainy Lake and the Seine River, with non-resident anglers being limited to one fish with both a sport and conservation licence.
“[Possession] is the number of fish that can be caught and retained at any one time [including stringer, livewell, freezer, etc],” explained McLeod. “Any fish eaten during the day are included in the daily catch limit.
“For non-residents in the border waters area, there is a difference in the daily catch and the possession limits to address issues with day use anglers from the U.S.,” McLeod added.
“In this case, the possession limit is higher than the daily limit and can only be acquired if the non-resident is in Ontario for the appropriate number of days [e.g., four days for a full sport licence limit of four walleye on Rainy Lake].
“They would only be allowed to have the daily limit in their livewell or stringer at any one time,” he noted.
Anglers are urged to consult the Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, available at all licence issuers and your local MNR office, for all the rules and regulations.
McLeod said walleye catch rates should remain high and anglers should expect to see plenty of large fish protected by slot size limits on Rainy Lake, along with maximum size limits on other inland lakes.
There also should be good numbers of smaller fish less than 35 cm (13.8 inches) and below the legal slot size on Rainy Lake.
McLeod noted fish available in the 35-45 cm (13.8”-17.8”) range will continue to be caught in below average numbers due to poorer year classes produced from 2002-05.
Only one bumper crop (2003) was produced during this period, and 2004 was exceptionally poor.
Walleye that are four-six years of age typically comprise the majority of the fish caught on Rainy Lake.
However, year classes produced in 2007 and 2008 look promising.
“Walleye populations are healthy and continue to improve on Rainy Lake due to a number of strong year classes produced in the late 1990s, along with the fisheries management actions taken to encourage walleye recovery since 1994,” McLeod said.
Since the reduced limit on Rainy Lake for resident anglers was introduced in 1994, the lake has seen a resurgence in walleye stock. And McLeod expects that trend to continue.
“The 2001 year class was exceptional [highest recorded] and will continue to provide a good portion of the catch,” he noted.
“Walleye from this very strong year class [now eight years old] will average 48 cm and will be above the legal harvest slot size for Rainy Lake.
“Anglers will also continue to see increasing numbers of larger fish over 45 cm [17.8”], and high numbers of small fish.”
On other area lakes, anglers should see good numbers of walleye, with a good number exceeding the maximum size limit, as well ( i.e., one over 46 cm).
“Angling for other species, including northern pike, smallmouth bass, and especially black crappie, continues to improve on Rainy Lake and elsewhere,” McLeod enthused.
Local guide John “Gator” Gushulak, who has been an expert on Rainy Lake for more than 40 years, expects another good walleye season once the weather warms up.
“Traditionally, the opener is pretty slow because the fish are on the verge of spawning or are still spawning, and the water temperatures are still cool,” Gushulak noted.
“It should be a good year, though, and I imagine if it continues to warm up over the next couple days, it should turn around pretty quickly,” he added.
