58 American Fisheries Society 



FISHERIES, WHERE OPERATED. 



Red Lake, the largest lake in the state, is a comparatively 

 shallow body of water some 440 square miles in area. It is nearly 

 all included in the Red Lake Indian Reservation, abounds in cer- 

 tain varieties of fish and has never been fished for market. By 

 agreement with the Department of Indian Affairs, whereby the 

 Indians of the reservation are to receive certain benefits, arrange- 

 ments were made to open up state fisheries in these waters. 



The intention was, when the State fishing was first inaugurated, 

 to confine it exclusively to Red Lake. It soon became apparent 

 that this would result in a financial loss for several months and it 

 was realized that in the great number of lakes of the state there 

 were certain varieties of fish which were used but little, if at all, 

 and there was no practical method recognized by law to take them 

 in quantities. So we began to take tullibees with gill nets, bull- 

 heads with hoop nets and pickerel with gill nets and spears, where 

 they were abundant and a considerable portion could be spared 

 for this purpose. 



In this way the demand for fish was met and the enterprise 

 was made self-sustaining, while the preparation was going on for 

 more extensive operations in Red Lake. It was not until late in 

 May that pound nets were finally set in Red Lake, since when 

 other state fishing has been gradually suspended as unnecessary. 

 The fish were found to be so abundant that during May and June 

 from two to four thousand pounds at a lift were taken from the 

 pound nets in use. 



No fishing has been done anywhere that would interfere or 

 conflict with regularly licensed commercial fishing or tend to 

 deplete any waters of any species, or to interfere with or injure 

 angling. It has been the policy to take only such species as are of 

 value chiefly as food fish and of little or no value as game fish. 



The production of fish in the various localities in which 



operations have been carried on has aggregated as follows : 



Nov. 1, 1917, to Aug. 31, 1918. 



Red Lake 538,644 lbs. 



Bena District, including waters of Cass, Winnibigoshish, and 



Leech Lakes and tributaries 281 ,046 " 



Miscellaneous, including carp fishing in the Minnesota River. .147,880 " 



Mille Lac 42,808 " 



Winton District, chiefly from Basswood Lake, and other Inter- 

 national waters 39,569 " 



Sandy Lake 9,681 " 



Total 1,059,628 " 



