Safe to eat?

Minnesota's fish are among the cleanest in the Great Lakes region.

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Yet certain chemicals have been found in fish from certain waters, and to alert people to this fact the Minnesota Department of Health has issued its annual "Minnesota Fish Consumption Advisory."

The advisory lists in alphabetical order recommendations for 856 lakes and 51 rivers. Mercury is the primary chemical of concern, though fish have been found to contain amounts of PCBs, toxaphene and dioxin. Fish absorb mercury from their food and also from water as it passes over their gills.

There is no method of cooking or cleaning fish that will reduce the amount of mercury, but if the guidelines are followed the mercury a person ingests should be safely eliminated from the body between meals. The guide recommends removing skin from fillets, trimming off fatty areas such as belly fat and back fat, and cooking the fish so the fat drips away. Broiling, baking or grilling are best.

As a general rule, smaller fish contain lower amounts of chemicals than larger fish. The advisory lists the following lengths of fish: 5-15 inches, 15-20 inches, 20-25 inches, 25-30 inches and 30 inches and longer. The number of meals adults can safely eat range from "Unlimited" to "Do Not Eat."

Budget constraints may force the Department of Health to stop publishing advisory consumptions in book form. For a free copy of the fish consumption advisory call (800) 657-3908. It's also available on the DNR website at www.dnr.state.mn.us

Listed alphabetically, the lakes in the following counties have consumption advisories. The fish that should be eaten in moderation are listed for each lake.

Crow Wing County

Bay (bluegill, cisco, walleye, northern), Big Rabbit (bluegill, northern, walleye), Big Rabbit East (bluegill, northern), Black Hoof (northern, walleye), Edward (bluegill, cisco, northern, walleye), Little Emily (northern), Lower Cullen (bluegill, cisco, northern, walleye), North Long (bluegill, carp, northern, walleye), Ossawinnamakee (northern), Pelican (bluegill, cisco, northern, walleye), Pennington Pit (trout), Perry (Crow Wing), Rice (bluegill, redhorse), Round (crappie, cisco, northern, walleye), Ruth (bluegill, northern, walleye), Whitefish (northern, walleye, sucker), Crow Wing River (bluegill, carp, northern), Mississippi River from Grand Rapids to Brainerd dams (northern, rock bass, redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, sucker, bullhead, perch), Mississippi River from Brainerd to Little Falls dams (crappie, bluegill, carp, crappie, northern, rock bass, redhorse, smallmouth bass, walleye, sucker, perch).

Cass County

Ada (bluegill, cisco, northern), Agate (northern, walleye), Birch (northern, walleye), Girl (bluegill, cisco, northern, walleye), Gull (crappie, cisco, largemouth bass, northern, walleye, sucker, perch), Inguadona (bluegill, cisco, northern, walleye, sucker), Leech (bluegill, cisco, whitefish, muskie, northern, walleye, sucker, perch), Little Wolf (crappie, bluegill, northern, walleye, sucker), Lizzard (bluegill, northern, bullhead), Long (bluegill, northern, walleye, sucker), Pike Bay (cisco, whitefish, northern, walleye, sucker, perch), Pine Mountain (bluegill, bullhead, cisco, northern, pumpkinseed, walleye, sucker), Six Mile (northern, walleye, sucker, perch), Stevens (bluegill, largemouth bass, northern), Sylvan (bluegill, northern, walleye, sucker), Ten Mile (crappie, cisco, whitefish, largemouth bass, northern, walleye, sucker), Washburn (northern, walleye), Winnibigoshish (bullhead, cisco, northern, walleye, perch), Woman (bluegill, northern, walleye, sucker, bullhead), Leaf River (walleye, sucker).

Aitkin County

Aitkin (pumpkinseed), Big Sandy (crappie, northern, walleye), Cedar (crappie, cisco, northern, walleye), Clear (crappie, bluegill, northern, walleye, sucker, bullhead), Dam (buffalo, bluegill, northern), Esquagamah (northern), Farm Island (crappie, cisco, largemouth bass, northern, walleye, sucker, bullhead), Gun (northern, walleye), Hanging Kettle (northern, walleye), Hill (bluegill, largemouth bass), Minnewawa (bluegill, bullhead, northern, walleye), Moulton (northern, walleye), Pickerel (crappie, northern, bullhead), Round (crappie, cisco, northern, walleye).

Mille Lacs County

Mille Lacs (burbot, carp, cisco, northern, walleye, sucker, perch)

Morrison County

Fish Trap (crappie, northern, walleye, sucker), Pierz Fish (bluegill, northern, walleye, sucker), Sullivan (bluegill, northern, walleye).