LAKE MILLE LACS, Minn. - Those who fish on Lake Mille Lacs every day will tell you the lake is full of fish, and that includes walleyes.
"We just caught a 27-and-a-half-incher four hours ago," said fishing guide Brad Hawthorne.
The only problem is, you can't keep any of the walleyes. This is the third summer of catch-and-release mandated by the DNR in an effort to increase the walleye numbers in the lake.
Except for members of the eight bands of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. They're allowed to net walleye.
And now a photo is being shared across social media by people upset with walleye management on the lake. It shows an abandoned tribal gillnet with 67 dead walleye weighing 112 pounds.
"People are upset," said Doug Meyenburg, who leads Proper Economic Resource Management, a group opposed to tribal netting.
Meyenburg believes the netting hurts the walleye population because it's done during the spring spawning period and affects breeding.
The DNR disputes that theory.
Nevertheless, Meyenburg argues the lake's co-management doesn't work and wants others to see the wastefulness shown in the photo.
"You had 66 fish that went in a garbage dumpster somewhere," he said.
A tribal spokesman told the St. Paul Pioneer Press they are investigating, and the wasted fish will count against the Fond du Lac band's walleye quota for this year.
"It counted toward the band's tally, and that's all you can really ask for," Hawthorne said.
Right now the DNR is studying the number of walleye in Lake Mille Lacs. They'll have the results later this summer. And that will affect next year's fishing rules.