Fall netting season opens for cisco and whitefish in Cook County this month
Oct 08, 2025 09:22AM ● By Content Editor
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - October 8, 2025
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced in late September the opening of the cisco (tullibee) and whitefish sport netting season this fall on designated northern lakes, including in Cook County. Minnesota residents have the opportunity to harvest these fish for personal use, with approximately 700 Minnesotans participating each year. Minnesota residents with a valid MN angling license and a $10 netting license can participate.
The netting schedule varies and is set to coincide with decreasing water temperatures as the seasons change. According to the DNR, "As the water temperatures cool, game fish head to deeper water while cisco and whitefish come to shallow water for fall spawning." The DNR allows netting "when there is little chance that fish other than cisco and whitefish will be caught." If any game fish are accidentally caught, they must be immediately released back into the water.
Several water bodies within Cook County are included in the netting schedules, though their opening and closing dates vary based on their designation in either Schedule I or Schedule II, as set by the DNR.
Lakes in Schedule I are considered more susceptible to water temperature factors. Because of that, they have flexible netting periods. The DNR will open and close netting on these waters with a 48-hour notice posted at lake accesses, other public places, and on the DNR website.
As of the announcement, the season dates for these lakes are "To Be Announced" (TBA).
Two Cook County lakes are listed in Schedule I:
Devil Track Lake
Poplar Lake
Schedule II Lakes
Schedule II lakes have predetermined netting periods based on historical data that indicate less year-to-year variability compared to Schedule I lakes.
Multiple waterbodies in Cook County fall under this schedule, according to the DNR:
- Brule Lake - October 17, 2025, to December 14, 2025
- Caribou Lake - October 17, 2025, to December 14, 2025
- Greenwood Lake - November 7, 2025, to December 14, 2025
- Pike Lake, East - October 17, 2025, to December 14, 2025
For lakes confirmed with other aquatic invasive species, equipment must be "dried for a minimum of 10 days, or frozen for two days," before using it in another body of water.
For any lake infested with any aquatic invasive species, nets should be transported in a sealed container.
To learn more, visit the DNR website here.
