"Climate Change Is a Culprit in Decline of Minnesota Walleye"

"Lake Mille Lacs resort owners are angry, anglers are frustrated, and they all have an opinion on what’s to blame for the shocking decline in walleye in Minnesota’s favorite fishing destination.

But there’s one culprit that gets scant attention: global warming.

Tullibee, a cold-water loving fish that is a critical prey for walleye, is largely gone from Mille Lacs. In fact, tullibee is in trouble across the state — a clear sign that Minnesota’s lakes are changing as fast as the climate and creating an uncertain future for the state’s prized fishing industry.

By the end of this century, tullibee will be gone or drastically reduced in two-thirds of the lakes where it lives now, according to a sophisticated climate prediction model by state and University of Minnesota scientists. Other coldwater fish like yellow perch, burbot and lake trout are also declining, while warmwater fish like bluegill and crappies are on the rise."

Josephine Marcotty reports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune May 2, 2015.