Liberalized Fishing

Lakes are opened to liberalized fishing when a fish population is endangered due to the lack of oxygen available in the water. These lakes are opened so that the public can take fish before they die. Lakes opened to liberalized fishing have signs posted at the public access or along the shore, and announcements will be made in the local newspaper and through the DNR Section of Fisheries central office in St. Paul.

Fish taken from lakes opened to liberalized fishing usually are lethargic and located near the bottom of the ice or near springs. Anglers should use caution and check ice conditions before beginning to fish on opened lakes. These lakes may be restocked with fish next spring after ice-out.

Rules for taking fish from lakes opened to liberalized fishing:

• The lakes are only open to liberalized fishing for a short time period. So check the dates on posted signs or in local newspapers.
• You are required to have a resident angling license to take fish on liberalized lakes.
• You may take fish in any quantity for personal use from lakes opened to liberalized fishing.
• You may sell rough fish.
• You may take fish by spear, gillnet, or angling (check each lake at the access site, gillnets may not be allowed at all lakes).
• You may not use seines, hoop nets, fyke nets, or explosives to take fish.
• All trespass laws are in effect and you should abide by them when accessing lakes.
• Do not leave any trash or litter on the lakes and take home all fish that are caught.

ID No.	Lake	County	Legal Description	Information	Opens	Closes
47002300	Arville	Meeker	T. 119; R. 29; S. 3		1/17/08	2/24/08
72001000	Buck	Sibley	T. 112; R. 26; S. 23,24		1/24/08	2/24/08
43010300	Clear	McLeod	T. 117; R. 30; S. 9,16		1/17/08	2/24/08
72008900	Clear	Sibley/Nicollet	T. 111,112; R. 31; S. 35,36; 1,2,11,12		2/22/08	3/15/08
70005200	Cynthia	Scott	T. 114; R. 22; S. 33		2/04/08	2/24/08
40001000	Dora	Le Sueur	T. 110: R. 23; S. 3,4,9,10		1/10/08	2/24/08
51002100	First Fulda	Murray	T. 105; R. 40; S. 35, 36		10/25/07	10/01/08
86000100	Foster	Wright	T. 120; R. 23; S. 2,3		2/05/08	2/29/08
71001600	Fremont	Sherburne	T. 34; R. 26; S. 3,4,9,10		1/15/08	2/15/08
43010900	French	McLeod	T. 117; R. 30; S. 14,15		1/30/08	2/24/08
11010100	George	Cass	T. 139, 140; R. 26, 27; S. 6,7; 31; 1; 36		3/01/08	3/22/08
10008900	Goose	Carver	T. 117; R. 25; S. 33		2/04/08	2/24/08
26020400	Graham	Grant	T. 127; R. 43W; S. 19,20		1/10/08	2/24/08
72005000	High Island	Sibley	T. 114: R. 28: S. 8,16,17,20,21,27,28,34		2/01/08	2/24/08
47010600	Hoff	Meeker	T. 117; R. 31; S.1		1/17/08	2/24/08
47018300	Hope	Meeker	T. 119; R. 32; S. 25,26,36		2/06/08	2/24/08
26028200	Lightning	Grant	T. 130; R. 43; S. 15,16,21,22		2/07/08	2/24/08
47001900	Little Wolf	Meeker	T. 118; R. 29; S. 27,34		1/30/08	2/24/08
47000100	Maple	Meeker	T. 118; R. 28,28; S. 18,12,13		1/17/08	2/24/08
40002800	Pepin	Le Sueur	T. 112: R. 23W; S. 27, 28, 32, 33, 34		1/10/08	2/24/08
47010200	Round	Meeker	T. 119; R. 30,31; S. 30,31,25,36		1/24/08	2/24/08
10008000	Rutz	Carver	T. 116; R. 25; S. 8		2/04/08	2/24/08
51002000	Second Fulda	Murray	T. 105; R. 40; S. 25, 36		10/25/07	10/01/08
47003500	Sellards	Meeker	T. 119; R. 29; S. 33		1/17/08	2/24/08
86012600	South Twin	Wright	T. 120; R. 26; S. 22		2/01/08	2/29/08
47001400	Spencer	Meeker	T. 118; R. 29; S. 20,21		1/17/08	2/24/08
70002900	St. Catherine	Scott	T. 113; R. 22; S. 2		2/04/08	2/24/08
47014200	Towers	Meeker	T. 120; R. 31; S. 7,8		1/17/08	2/24/08
47007400	Turtle	Meeker	T. 119; R. 30; S. 24,25		1/17/08	2/24/08
66003200	Union	Rice	T. 111: R. 21; S. 35,36,2,3		1/11/08	2/24/08
47013600	West Hanson	Meeker	T. 119; R. 31; S. 17,18		1/30/08	2/24/08
61002900	Westport	Pope	T. 126; R. 36; S. 21,22,28		2/08/08	2/24/08
47013800	Youngstrom	Meeker	T. 119; R. 31; S. 21,28		2/06/08	2/24/08