District 1 – Baudette area
Last updated: 2023-05-15
CO Ben Huener (Roseau) checked turkey hunters and followed up on a report of fires started without burning permits. Anglers were checked on Lake of the Woods, and in some places good fishing was had by anglers. Anglers were checked along the Canadian Border, and work was done with Ontario Officers who had encountered Minnesota anglers fishing for walleyes in closed season in Ontario. Other violations included minor boating violations and anglers using too many lines.
CO Tony Hams (Warroad North) spent time checking area anglers. Violations encountered were angling with extra lines, illegal length walleye, no license in possession, and no fire extinguisher on board.
CO Coby Fontes (Warroad South) reports that he had a busy weekend working the fishing opener. Violations encountered were angling without a license, no license in possession, and illegal-length fish to name a few. Fontes reports that folks from all across the state enjoyed both the astonishing fishing and the dazzling weather.
CO Jeremy Woinarowicz (Thief River Falls West) instructed at the CO Academy, investigated unmarked minnow traps, and worked the fishing opener in the Thief River Falls area seeing good success. Enforcement action for the week included angle without license, possess illegal length fish, possess smallmouth bass during catch and release only season, unregistered ATV, no helmet on juvenile ATV operator, and juvenile ATV passenger violation.
CO Demosthenes Regas (Blackduck South) reports working the busy fishing opener. Anglers took to the water with enthusiasm in numbers. Regas noted many anglers reported a very slow walleye bite, but Northern Pike were very active. Time was spent monitoring the close of the spring beaver trapping as the season ends, issuing wildlife possession permits and assisting with instruction at the Deputy Boating School held at Camp Ripley. Enforcement action for the week included watercraft lighting, watercraft registration and angling license violations.
CO Nicholas Prachar (Blackduck North) reports a busy fishing opener. Prachar worked with CO Fontes on Upper Red Lake. The two took enforcement action on numerous illegal length fish and over-limits of walleye. Other enforcement action was taken for no angling license in possession and expired watercraft registration.
District 2 – Bemidji area
Last updated: 2023-05-15
CO Tom Hutchins (Crookston) reports checking anglers and boaters this week. Trapping and turkey hunting activity was also worked. AIS compliance was monitored at public water access sites.
CO Brice Vollbrecht (Bemidji #1) monitored angling activity on area lakes. Time was spent instructing a boat operations course at Camp Ripley. Officer Vollbrecht worked details on Mille Lacs Lake and the Whitefish Chain of Lakes near Pine River. Numerous boat safety and angling violations were detected.
CO Chris Vinton (Perham) reports a windy, wet fishing opener on Saturday. Many of the anglers fishing the rivers still found the walleyes. Public accesses were patrolled for AIS compliance and a few ATV operators were contacted. Anglers pursuing their own shiners and minnows should be reminded that without a commercial bait harvesters license and tagged equipment, seining in infested waters is prohibited. Enforcement action was taken for failure to display valid watercraft registration and no angling license in possession.
CO Jake Swedberg (Detroit Lakes) assisted with training during the deputy boating school this week. Several counties participated in the training and received hands on experience with boat approaches and some advanced maneuvering with the patrol boats. CO Swedberg also worked a busy fishing opener with many shore and boat anglers checked. Most anglers were law abiding with most of the violations being related to boating. Other time was spent for an upcoming training in the metro.
CO Steve Chihak (Moorhead) spent the weekend working Spring turkey hunting, sport fishing and ATV enforcement. Time was also spent working the fishing opener over the weekend.
CO Angie Warren (Mahnomen) spent time assisting academy staff at camp Ripley. Call of nuisance beaver and leeching questions were received. CO Warren provided information about Conservation officer duties and water safety at a family outreach events in Mahnomen and Naytahwaush.
CO Bill Landmark (Pelican Rapids) spent the week checking anglers and assisted with teaching the Deputy Boat and Water School at Camp Ripley. Anglers struggled to get fish to bite on opening day, but fishing success improved with warming water temperatures on Sunday. Calls from the public included questions about harvesting minnows, watercraft registration, and wildlife related complaints. Follow up was also conducted on reported wetland violations. Enforcement action was taken for angling without a license in possession, insufficient number of PFDs, no type IV throwable cushion/device, illegal length crappies on special regulation lakes, operating PWC after hours, and watercraft light violations after sunset.
CO Brett Fox (Bemidji #2) spent the week patrolling for ATV and angling activity. Fishing opener this year was slower than normal for most anglers. Lake Itasca had the most walleye caught compared to other lakes in Clearwater County. Violations this week included fishing without a license, ATV and boat registration issues, and litter.
CO Al Peterson (Osage) checked anglers and noted some success for some and slow for others but overall nice weather. CO Peterson also worked trespass complaints, and boat and water safety.
Bagley vacant.
District 3 – Fergus Falls area
Last updated: 2023-05-15
CO Andrew Goodman (Fergus Falls) focused on angling, turkey hunting and ATV enforcement throughout the week. Fishing opener presented its typical challenges for folks as any other year. Hit-or-miss weather, fish bite and serviceable equipment didn?t deter many from making some memories partaking in the tradition. Most anglers looked to panfish after the opening hours past and found some success. ATVs have claimed too many lives already this year, riders should expect focused enforcement efforts this season in attempts to curb an unfortunate trend.
CO Tricia Plautz (Henning) spent the week checking anglers in the area. ATV safety classes were registered and volunteer instructors were contacted. Plautz spent time on area lakes with good fishing reports and conducted boating safety checks. Plautz assisted area law enforcement personnel with an armed subject and responded to a TIP call of anglers keeping walleye prior to season opening.
CO Ryan Brown (Elbow Lake) reports seeing a lot of anglers out for the fishing opener. Due to the weather, anglers showed mild fishing success the first day. Some enforcement action this week included, taking bass out of season, fishing with an extra line, and no life jackets onboard watercraft.
CO Shane Osborne (Evansville) checked fishermen, boaters and ATV?s. Life jacket and boat registration were the violations that were most prominent for the fishing opener. Complaints of people backing into an access and then preparing their boat to launch were received. Osborne explained that it is not against the law to do that but proper boat launching etiquette requires people to prepare their boat ahead of time out of the way rather than congesting the access.
CO Mitch Lawler (Alexandria) reports a busy weekend fishing opener around Alex, despite the wind and Saturday rain. Lots of good contacts were made with anglers around the area, some with fish and some without. It was great checking some young anglers on Sunday as the weather improved. A few anglers were issued citations for not buying their fishing license prior to wetting their line. A landowner was cited for burning several piles of brush without a permit during the current burning restrictions. Time was also spent this week at Camp Ripley instructing the new cadets at the academy.
CO Felicia Znajda (Osakis) has begun receiving reports of anglers trespassing on private property to get to bodies of water to fish. CO Znajda has continued to see many dumped fish, along with various angling violations including, northern pike measuring within the slot being kept, angling without a license, and fish taken outside of season. The rain and wind kept the anglers back on opening day, but made up for it the following day. Seeing lots of fish in the buckets.
CO Hanna Wood (Wheaton) spent the opener weekend working angling enforcement in Grant and Stevens Counties. During the week she spent some time at Camp Ripley for the Deputy Boating School and worked some ATV enforcement. CO Wood would like to remind people that most of the inflatable PFDs only count WHEN WORN and if people don?t want to wear them, then they need to have enough of the ?regular? life jackets to cover everyone in the boat.
CO Daniel Baumbarger (Glenwood) reports enforcement efforts for the week were concentrated on checking fishermen, turkey hunters, and ATV operators. Additional time was spent working AIS and boating safety. Fishermen are reminded that water from lakes can?t be transported in bait buckets or live-wells.
District 4 – Walker area
Last updated: 2023-05-15
CO Michael Cross (Lake George) worked the end of beaver trapping season, ATV patrol, and the Minnesota Fishing Opener. Cross saw heavy traffic on the lakes in the Bemidji and Park Rapids area. Success on the lakes was mixed, but the good weather was welcomed by the anglers after the hard winter.
CO Jordan Anderson (Wadena) saw an uptick of activity in the station with the fishing opener as well as trails and forest roads in Huntersville and Paul Bunyan State Forest opening. Enforcement action was taken for a variety of boating and fishing related violations, and an ATV stop resulted in a DWI arrest.
CO Patrick McGowan worked a busy fishing opener weekend. Success varied lake to lake, but numerous boaters were out. Enforcement action was taken for numerous fishing and boating violations.
CO Mark Mathy (Cass Lake) primarily checked anglers on a busy fishing opener weekend. A nuisance beaver complaint and walleye out of season tip were also received. Mathy also taught at the Conservation Officer academy. Enforcement action was taken for boating, angling, and AIS violations.
CO Corey Sura (Remer) reports working angling and ATV activity over the fishing opener weekend. Fishing success was on the slower side, however, people didn?t seem to be to upset given the great weather conditions. Enforcement action was taken for possessing illegal length northern pike, fishing without a license, expired boat registration, and operating ATV?s on the state highway.
CO Jacque Hughes (Longville) checked angling activity and took calls regarding nuisance bears. Enforcement action taken on fishing without a license, expired reg, and illegal length northern.
CO Adam Seifermann (Staples) Reports a busy week leading up the fishing opener. Opening weekend yielded less anglers than in recent years but most anglers had luck catching panfish during the day and walleyes in the evening/night. Very few violations were observed which was one positive note. Some enforcement action consisted of no angling licenses, no license in possession and safety equipment and registration violations.
ATV rec officer vacant.
