Iowa Great Lakes — Anglers from around the area will be descending upon the Iowa Great Lakes this weekend with the opener of Walleye Season on the Iowa Great Lakes Chain.
In conjunction with the opening of Walleye Season come the 39th annual ‘Great Walleye Weekend’ event, which runs Saturday and Sunday this weekend. Ten walleye are tagged and released into the chain of Iowa Great Lakes. If you have registered by the midnight Friday night deadline, then starting at midnight on Saturday, May 1st you can cast your chance at catching one of these 10 tagged walleye worth $39,000. There are many other chances to win prizes all weekend long – from the largest fish categories to the raffle prizes at the awards luncheon.
The weekend’s tournament ends at 11:59 am Sunday morning. But if you sign up for the extended contest, which runs from noon Sunday until 11:59 pm Tuesday, August 31st, you’ll have a chance to catch one of the uncaught walleye from the Great Walleye Weekend, with the first three tagged walleye caught during that time winning a percentage of the registration fees all summer long.
There are a few things to remember, though. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, there is a daily bag limit of three walleye. In addition, on the Iowa Great Lakes chain, there is what the DNR calls a Protected Slot Limit, which means that walleye between 17 and 22 inches in length are protected and may not be kept. DNR officials say those fish must be released back into the lake alive. There is a “One Over” for fish over 22 inches in length, meaning that if you catch a fish over 22 inches you have a bag limit of one each day.
