Quality sunfish initiative

Underwater photo of bluegill swimming over a nesting bedFor years, anglers have been telling the DNR they were satisfied with sunfish/bluegill numbers but an increasing number of anglers have been concerned about catching so many small sunfish.

The prevalent use of electronic fish finders and other technological advancements combined with rapid social media communication has heightened those concerns.

DNR fisheries managers responded with a quality sunfish initiative that uses proven daily limits of five or 10 sunfish to protect and improve sunfish quality on select lakes with both biological potential to produce large sunfish and strong public support.

The initiative increased the number of lakes with reduced bag limits from 60 (as of 2020) to 225 (as of 2022). These regulations will be monitored during the next decade to determine their impact and effectiveness.

What is a sunfish?

Sunfish is a generic name for a group fish that includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, orange-spotted sunfish, longear, warmouth and their hybrids.

Do the reduced limits apply to my daily limit or possession limit?
Nearly all special regulations with reduced limits for sunfish (and crappie) reduce the daily limit but retain the statewide possession limits. For example, if a lake has a reduced daily limit of five sunfish, anglers can keep five sunfish each day from the lake but may never possess more than 20 sunfish (from that lake or any other).
Lakes with QSI regulations

Sorted alphabetically by county and lake name

Northwest
Adopted Region Area Applies to Primary water County Species Adopted language
2021 1 Detroit Lakes Big Floyd Lake Big Floyd Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Detroit Lakes Buffalo Lake Buffalo Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Detroit Lakes Height of Land Lake Height of Land Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Detroit Lakes Island Lake Island Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Detroit Lakes Little Sugar Bush Lake Little Sugar Bush Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Detroit Lakes North Tamarack Lake North Tamarack Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Detroit Lakes Sand Lake and connected Talac and Sorenson Lakes Sand Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 1 Detroit Lakes Turtle Lake Turtle Becker Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Bemidji Beltrami Lake and connected waters, Turtle River and Fox Lake Beltrami Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Big Lake Big Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Big Bass Lake Big Bass Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Campbell Lake Campbell Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Cass Chain and connected waters Wolf, Ose, Andrusia, unnamed stream (Big Lake Creek), Mississippi River, Cass, Fox Creek, Pike Bay, Windigo, Buck, Big Rice, Little Rice, Kitchi, Turtle River, and Pug Hole Lake Cass Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Deer Lake Deer Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Julia Lake Julia Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Medicine Lake Medicine Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Movil Lake including Turtle River Movil Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Three Island Lake including Turtle River Three Island Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Turtle Lakes, Big and Little including Turtle River Turtle (Big Turtle) Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Bemidji Turtle River Lake Turtle River Beltrami Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Walker Beuber Lake Beuber Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Walker Big Portage Lake and connected waters, Rice and Deep Portage Lakes Big Portage Cass Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Walker Boy Lake and connected Swift Lake Boy, Swift Cass Sunfish and crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit 10
2022 1 Walker Crooked Lake and connected Welsh Lake Crooked, Welsh Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 1 Walker Island Lake (near Longville) Island Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Walker Leech Lake Leech Cass Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Walker Sucker Lakes, Upper, Middle, and Lower Lower Sucker Cass Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Walker Lower Trelipe Lake Lower Trelipe Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 1 Walker Ox Yoke Lake Ox Yoke Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Bemidji Pike Bay Lake and connected Fox Creek Pike Bay Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Walker Sanburn Lake Sanburn Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 1 Walker Sugar Lake Sugar Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 1 Walker Upper Trelipe Lake Upper Trelipe Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 1 Walker Vermillion Lake Vermillion Cass Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Bemidji Minerva Lake Minerva Clearwater Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Glenwood Andrew Lake Andrew Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Glenwood Blackwell Lake Blackwell Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Glenwood Irene Lake Irene Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Glenwood Mill Lake Mill Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Glenwood Moon Lake Moon Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Glenwood Osakis and Little Osakis Lakes Osakis Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Glenwood Red Rock Lake Red Rock Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Glenwood Round Lake Round Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 1 Glenwood Vermont Lake Vermont Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Glenwood Whiskey Lake Whiskey Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Park Rapids Crow Wing Lake, 1st First Crow Wing Hubbard Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Park Rapids Crow Wing Lakes, Second, Third, and Fourth Fourth Crow Wing Hubbard Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Park Rapids Garfield Lake Garfield Hubbard Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Fergus Falls Bass Lake Bass Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Fergus Falls Pine Lake, Big Big Pine Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Fergus Falls Crystal Lake Crystal Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Fergus Falls Deer Lake and connected Otter Tail River Deer Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 1 Fergus Falls East Lost Lake and connected Otter Tail River East Lost Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 1 Fergus Falls Fish Lake Fish Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Fergus Falls Fish Lake Fish Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Fergus Falls Franklin Lake Franklin Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 1 Fergus Falls Long Lake Long Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Fergus Falls Middle Lake Middle Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 1 Fergus Falls Prairie Lake Prairie Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 1 Fergus Falls Red River Lake Red River Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Fergus Falls Lida Lakes, South and North, including connecting Mud Lake South Lida Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Fergus Falls Stuart Lake Stuart Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Fergus Falls Venstrom Lake Venstrom Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Fergus Falls Wall Lake Wall Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 1 Fergus Falls West Lost Lake West Lost Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 1 Fergus Falls West Silent Lake West Silent Otter Tail Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 1 Detroit Lakes Sarah Lake Sarah Polk Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Glenwood Amelia Lake Amelia Pope Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 1 Glenwood Gilchrist Lake Gilchrist Pope Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 1 Glenwood Grove Lake Grove Pope Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 1 Glenwood Leven Lake Leven Pope Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Glenwood Minnewaska Lake Minnewaska Pope Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Glenwood Villard Lake Villard Pope Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 1 Glenwood Reno Lake Reno Pope/Douglas Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 2 Aitkin Clear Lake Clear Aitkin Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
Northeast
Adopted Region Area Applies to Primary water County Species Adopted language
2021 2 Aitkin Dam Lake and connected waters, Lily Lake and Dam Brook Dam Aitkin Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 2 Aitkin Gun Lake Gun Aitkin Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 2 Aitkin Minnewawa Lake and connected Horsehoe Lake Minnewawa Aitkin Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 2 Aitkin Rat Lake Rat Aitkin Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 2 Aitkin Vanduse Lake Vanduse Aitkin Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 2 Aitkin Waukenabo Lake Waukenabo Aitkin Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 2 Duluth Moosehead Lake Moosehead Carlton Sunfish and crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd Borden Lake Borden Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd East Twin Lake East Twin Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd Edward Lake Edward Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd Gladstone Lake Gladstone Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 2 Brainerd Lake Hubert Hubert Crow Wing Sunfish and crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd Mississippi River from Brainerd Dam upstream to Highway 6 including Rice, Little Rabbit, and Half Moon Lakes and connected backwaters Mississippi River - Brainerd dam u/s to Hwy 6 Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd North Long North Long Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd Perch Lake Perch Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd Mission Lakes, Upper and Lower Upper Mission Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Brainerd Whitefish Chain including connected Cross Lake Reservoir, Lower Hay, Arrowhead, Bertha, Clamshell, Big Trout, Pig, Island-Loon, Rush-Hen, Dagget, and Little Pine lakes Whitefish Crow Wing Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Grand Rapids Bear Lake Bear Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 2 Grand Rapids Deer Lake and connected Pickerel and Battle lakes Deer Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily 5
2021 2 Grand Rapids Island Lake Island Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Grand Rapids Jay Gould Lake and connected waters, Little Jay Gould Lake Blackwater Reservoir, and Mississippi River upstream to the State Highway 6 and County Road 63 bridges, and downstream to the Pokegama dam Jay Gould, Little Jay Gould Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Grand Rapids Little Bowstring Lake Little Bowstring Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 2 Grand Rapids Little Turtle Lake (near Marcell) Little Turtle Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 2 Grand Rapids Pokegama Lake (near Grand Rapids) Pokegama Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 2 Grand Rapids Sand Lake upstream to CSAH 35 bridge, including Portage, Birdseye, Little Sand, Rice, and the Bowstring River downstream to the County Road 145 bridge Sand Itasca Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 2 Tower Bear Head Lake Bear Head St. Louis Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 International Falls Blackduck Lake Blackduck Lake St. Louis Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 2 International Falls Elephant Lake Elephant Lake St. Louis Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 2 Duluth Elliot Lake Elliot St. Louis Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 2 Duluth Fish Lake Flowage Fish St. Louis Sunfish and crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 2 Tower Low Lake Low St. Louis Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 2 Duluth Strand Lake Strand St. Louis Sunfish and crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 2 Duluth Whiteface Reservoir Whiteface St. Louis Sunfish and crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 2 Duluth Wild Rice Reservoir Wild Rice St. Louis Sunfish and crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
Central
Adopted Region Area Applies to Primary water County Species Adopted language
2021 3 East Metro Centerville Lake Centerville Anoka Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 East Metro Martin Lake Martin Anoka Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 3 West Metro Parley Lake Parley Carver Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 West Metro Riley Lake Riley Carver Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 East Metro Marion Lake Marion Dakota Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 West Metro Dutch Lake Dutch Hennepin Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 West Metro Medicine Lake Medicine Hennepin Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 West Metro Sarah Lake Sarah Hennepin Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 3 Little Falls Shakopee Lake near Onamia, HWY 26 bridge to lake outlet of Lake Onamia at HWY 27 Shakopee/Onamia Mille Lacs Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 3 Little Falls Round Lake Round (NE) Morrison Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 3 Hinckley Cross Lake and connected waters including the Snake River upstream to and including underneath Interstate 35 and downstream to County Road 9. Cross Pine Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 3 Hinckley Pokegama Lake and connected waters including the Snake River from Little Walleye landing downstream to Interstate 35. Pokegama Pine Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2021 3 East Metro Owasso Lake Owasso Ramsey Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 West Metro Prior Lakes, Upper and Lower Upper Prior Scott Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Sauk Rapids Sauk River Chain of Lakes from State Highway 23 Bridge in T.123, R.31, S.24, downstream to the Cold Spring Dam in T.123, R.30, S.23, including connecting waters, Sauk River, and Becker, Horseshoe, Cedar Island, Zumwalde, Great Northern, Schneider, Krays, Bolfing, and Knaus Lakes Horseshoe Stearns Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 3 Sauk Rapids Long Lake Long Stearns Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 3 Little Falls Beauty Lake Beauty Todd Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Little Falls Buck Lake Buck Todd Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Little Falls Cedar Lake Cedar Todd Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Little Falls Lady Lake Lady Todd Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Little Falls Lily Lake and connected Long Lake Lily-Long Todd Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Little Falls Mary Lake Mary Todd Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Little Falls Moose Lake Moose Todd Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 East Metro Big Marine Lake Big Marine Washington Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 3 East Metro Shields Lake Shields Washington Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 3 Sauk Rapids Sylvia Lakes, East and West East Sylvia Wright Sunfish and Crappie Crappie: daily limit five. Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 3 Sauk Rapids Indian Lake Indian Lake Wright Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
Southern
Adopted Region Area Applies to Primary water County Species Adopted language
2021 4 Spicer Diamond Lake Diamond Kandiyohi Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2021 4 Spicer Florida Lake Florida Kandiyohi Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 4 Spicer George Lake George Kandiyohi Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 4 Spicer George Lake George Kandiyohi Crappie Crappie: daily limit 5
2021 4 Spicer Long Lake Long Kandiyohi Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2021 4 Spicer Nest Lake Nest Kandiyohi Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10.
2022 4 Waterville Lake Washington Washington Le Sueur Sunfish Sunfish: daily 10
2022 4 Hutchinson Lake Minnie-Belle Minnie-Belle Meeker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2022 4 Hutchinson Lake Ripley Ripley Meeker Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 5
2021 4 Waterville Mazaska Lake Mazaska Rice Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit five.
2022 4 Waterville Shields Lake Shields Rice Sunfish Sunfish: daily limit 10

 

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