ST. PAUL (AP) - The Department of Natural Resources is announcing a plan to boost the walleye population in Mille Lacs Lake.

The DNR said Tuesday it'll convene a blue-ribbon panel of national fisheries experts to review past and current management practices. The agency also plans to contract out for a review of how it conducts fish population estimates. And, it also plans a new study to determine how predators like northern pike affect the survival of young walleyes.

DNR fisheries chief Don Pereira says a key problem is the vast majority of Mille Lacs' walleyes don't survive until their second autumn.

He says some walleye regulation changes could take effect as early as this spring, though the agency would prefer to stick with current regulations for the upcoming season.

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