Duluth man fined for over fishing in zero limit area

A Minnesota man has been fined for illegally keeping a lake trout.

Donald Kevin Gagne, of Duluth, pleaded guilty and was fined $500 for catching and retaining more than the specified quota of fish, which is zero for the area in which he was fishing

Court heard that conservation officers with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducted an investigation into a lake trout that had been caught and retained illegally on Lake of the Woods. 

The investigation revealed that Gagne had been fishing the Ontario side of Lake of the Woods while staying at Sunset Lodge in Northwest Angle, Minnesota. 

On February 11, 2016, while fishing for walleye, Gagne caught and kept a lake trout weighing over 13 kilograms.  Anglers are not permitted to keep lake trout caught in the waters in which Gagne was fishing.

Justice of the Peace Robert McNally heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Kenora, on June 7, 2016.

For further information on fishing regulations, please consult the Ontario Fishing Regulations Summary, available at ontario.ca/fishing.

To report a natural resources violation, call the MNRF TIPS line at 1-877-847-7667 toll-free any time or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).