DNR to host public meeting on proposed walleye regulation in Oneida County

RHINELANDER, Wis. (WSAW) - The Wisconsin DNR will host a public meeting to discuss a proposed walleye regulation change for Crescent Lake in Oneida County.

The meeting will be held on March 18 at 6 p.m. at the Rhinelander DNR Service Center and virtually via Microsoft Teams.

This meeting was requested in response to a public notice published on Feb. 18.

The DNR proposes to change fishing regulations for walleye on Crescent Lake in Oneida County to match the standard Ceded Territory walleye regulation of a minimum length of 15 inches, but walleye from 20 inches to 24 inches may not be kept, with a daily bag limit of three fish with only one fish over 24 inches.

This proposed regulation change comes after the Crescent Lake rehabilitation partner group detected a strong year class of age-1 walleye in fall 2024. Under the current regulation, juvenile walleye are more likely to be exploited. The goal of this regulation is to minimize the harvest of juvenile walleye and protect the current spawning adult population.

If the public is in favor, the proposed regulation would take effect on Saturday, May 3, 2025.

Interested parties are invited to attend the meeting to learn more about the Crescent Lake walleye population and ask about the proposed walleye regulation change on Crescent Lake.

To ensure there is adequate capacity for everyone interested in attending in person, people are strongly encouraged to RSVP to Nathan Lederman at Nathaniel.Lederman@wisconsin.gov.