Every year the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) prepares or revises individual fisheries lake and stream management plans for several waters in each management area. Lake and stream management plans describe the past, present, and desired future conditions of the waterbody. The plans identify specific management activities planned for that water in the next five to 20 years. Those activities always include surveys and assessments, but may also include stocking, habitat or access improvements, or changes to regulations. In the Duluth area, plans for the following lakes and streams will be reviewed between now and Dec. 31:
Bassett Lake (St. Louis County)
Lower Cloquet River (St. Louis County)
Hay Lake (amendment to 2005 plan, Carlton County)
Moosehead Lake (Carlton County)
Salo Lake (St. Louis County)
Us-Kab-Wan-Ka River (St. Louis County)
Printable documents of the draft plans and comment forms will be available on the DNR website at the following address: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/areas/fisheries/duluth/index.html
Copies of the draft plans are also available for review at the DNR Area Fisheries Office in Duluth (5351 North Shore Drive, Duluth MN 55804) during business hours (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday), or by mail by calling the Fisheries Office at 218-525-0853, ext. 200. You can also request a plan by sending your mailing address along with the name of the lake or stream you are requesting to the following email: rhonda.mittlefehldt@dnr.state.mn.us . Comments are due to the Area Fisheries Office by Dec. 31, and may be sent by mail or email.
I'm partial to the Lower Cloquet River because I do a lot of fly fishing on it. Everyone knows that it's a smallmouth factory, but the big ones just aren't there in numbers. Brown trout and brook trout, come on now! We need to turn this river into a world class smallmouth fishery, something like the upper Mississippi is. The walleyes might be there, but there are easier and better places to fish for walleyes.
If you like fishing for smallmouth, please send a comment to the DNR requested some kind of special regulations for growing larger smallmouth bass on this section of the Cloquet River.
My 2 cents!