LAKES AREA NEWS: Walleye Weekend kicks off Friday, anglers remin - KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and Sports

ARNOLDS PARK, Iowa (KTIV/KUOO) - The countdown is on for the start of the Walleye season in the Iowa Great Lakes.

“Walleye Weekend” kicks off at the stroke of midnight Friday night.

Anglers are being reminded of new laws that are on the books intended to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Jeff Morrison, a Conservation Officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said one of them makes it illegal to transport lake water.

“When you go to leave the lake, that water needs to be all drained off, whether it be in the livewell or a bucket, it needs to be dumped out and drained off. If they feel that they need to have water on the fish then they’re going to have to bring water from ”home and it’s going to have to be tap water or gallon jugs bought at Wal-Mart or wherever you might buy them, but it can’t come from the lake. Any transportation of lake water is strictly prohibited,” Jeff Morrison, a Conservation Officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said.

Morrison said live wells must be drained and cleaned, and all plugs must be removed from boats before they can be transported.

The DNR is expecting a relatively good season for walleye fishing in the Iowa Great Lakes following a highly successful gillnetting operation earlier this spring. Warmer weather is also expected, following the past couple of days with temperatures in the 30’s and lower 40’s.?