Start planning 2007 fishing tournaments

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin accepting applications for 2007 fishing tournaments on Aug. 1. Applications received by Sept. 29 will be given preference under rules adopted to redistribute tournament traffic on busy lakes.

The DNR limits the size and frequency of tournaments on lakes smaller than 55,000 acres, and on rivers and streams. Any open-water tournament that has more than 30 participants or an entry fee more than $25 requires a permit from the DNR. Permits for ice fishing contests are required for contests exceeding 150 participants. Permits are free. In 2006, DNR issued nearly 600 permits statewide for both open water and ice fishing contests. The 2006 Minnesota Legislature moved up the application period by one month at the request of tournament organizers.

"By limiting the number of contests held on any lake or stream on a monthly basis, we are addressing the concerns of lake users that fishing tournaments disturb their fishing, swimming, boating and other water recreation," said Al Stevens, Fisheries Program consultant. "Additionally, we keep two weekends each month free of permitted tournaments."

The number of tournaments allowed each month on lakes is based on lake size. For example, on lakes smaller than 2,000 acres, two tournaments are allowed, limited to 50 boats or 100 participants per month. Lakes from 15,000 to 55,000 acres can have five contests per month, three of which may exceed 100 participants. There are no limits for lakes larger than 55,000 acres.

Tournament organizers should check for new limits on rivers established by the 2006 Legislature. Tournaments on rivers are limited to two per month, except limits on the Minnesota-Wisconsin boundary waters of the Mississippi River and Lake St. Croix are slightly higher.

If the number of applications exceeds monthly limits, the DNR uses a lottery to allocate available permits. Applications received from Aug. 1 through Sept. 29 will be eligible for any necessary lottery drawing. Tournaments with a history established prior to 2001 for a particular lake and time period will have preference.

Applications received after Sept. 29 will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis through the 2007 tournament season.

For a complete summary of the tournament regulations, call the DNR Information Center at (651) 296-6157 or toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367) or view the summary and a tournament application on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us.