We have good news for ice anglers hankering to get out on a popular and large lake in Central Minnesota. The Department of Natural Resources has just announced that the public access off Highway 55 on Stearns County’s Lake Koronis  is now open for the ice fishing season.

The access reopened on December 24 after a temporary closure this fall for an invasive species treatment. In late August the DNR confirmed the presence of starry stonewort in Lake Koronis and Mud Lake, which are connected, in Stearns and Meeker counties.

This was the first confirmed case of this invasive species in Minnesota. Starry stonewort was first discovered in the U.S. in the St. Lawrence River in 1978 and has spread into lakes in the northeastern parts of the country.

Also, the DNR reminds anglers to follow safety procedures and always check ice conditions before venturing onto any lake. Information about ice safety can be found HERE.