Fishing season opens Saturday, includes catch and release in popular lakes

MINOCQUA (AP) — Anglers eager to drop a fishing line in the open water are heading for Wisconsin's lakes, rivers and streams.

The inland sport fishing season opens bright and early Saturday. And, for one popular tourism area, any walleye that's caught must be thrown back.

The Natural Resources Board approved emergency rules this month that require catch-and-release for the Minocqua and Tomahawk lake chains in Oneida County. The region is popular with anglers, but in recent years the walleye population has been depleted.

Gregg Walker is from the Minocqua chapter of the group Walleyes for Tomorrow. Walker tells WLUK-TV there are a lot of lakes where a vibrant male walleye population doesn't exist.

The plan to revive the walleye numbers will be evaluated in five years.