Anoka County is in the heart of the land of 10,000 lakes and some excellent fishing.  But how much do you know about the fish? Most fish in Minnesota are safe to eat.  All the fish in Anoka County lakes and rivers are safe to eat.  But, too much fish may not be healthy.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has new recommendations about how often to eat fish from certain Minnesota waters. MDH’s site-specific meal advice helps people limit exposure to contaminants like PCBs, mercury and PFOS by choosing fish lower in contaminants. MDH also offers more general statewide safe-eating guidelines for avoiding exposure to contaminants in fish from all sources. Information on fish contamination in local lakes and waters also can be found on the DNR LakeFinder web app.

Any fish (store-­‐bought or sport-­‐caught) could contain contaminants such as mercury that can harm human health especially the development of children and fetuses.  You can’t see, smell or taste the mercury in fish.  That’s why it is important to know what fish are safer than others.

For more information contact the Minnesota Department of Health Fish Consumption Advice website or call 651-201-5000.