Wisconsin Administrative Code
Department of Natural Resources
NR 1-99 - Fish, Game and Enforcement, Forestry and Recreation
Chapter NR 23 - Wisconsin-Michigan Boundary Waters
Section NR 23.05 - Hook and line fishing
Current through August 26, 2024
(1) No person may use more than 3 hooks, baits or lures. The line or lines shall be attended at all times.
(1m) No person may set, use or operate a landing net for any purpose other than for the purpose of landing fish legally hooked or to take fish as authorized with the use of dip nets under this chapter or ch. NR 20.
(2) Any fish taken and retained in possession that is not released freely into the water immediately after capture shall be considered part of the angler's daily bag limit.
(3) No person may take fish by snagging or foul hooking unless authorized by s. NR 20.06.
(4) No person may fish for fish of any variety during the closed season for trout in the Brule river upstream from the railroad bridge in section 29, township 42 north, range 34 west, Iron county, Michigan and section 25, township 41 north, range 15 east, Florence county, Wisconsin and in the Montreal river above the Saxon Falls flowage, except that rough fish may be taken by hand.
(5) The seasons, size limits and bag and possession limits for hook and line fishing in the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters for the species listed in this subsection, except as provided in ss. NR 23.06 and 23.085, are as follows:
|
Kind of fish and locality |
Open season (both dates inclusive) |
Possession and daily bag limit |
Minimum length (in.) |
|
(a) BLUEGILLS, CRAPPIES, PERCH, WHITE AND YELLOW BASS AND SUNFISH in all boundary waters |
No closed season |
25 in total |
No size limit |
|
(b) ALL OTHER SPECIES not listed in this subsection in all boundary waters |
No closed season |
No limit |
No size limit |
|
(c) LAKE STURGEON |
|||
|
1. Menominee river, upstream from Grand Rapids dam |
First Saturday in September to September 30 |
1 per season |
60 |
|
1m. Menominee river, downstream from Grand Rapids dam |
First Saturday in September to September 30 |
0 (catch-and-release only) |
Harvest prohibited |
|
2. Basin lake, Big lake, Big Bad Water lake, Big Bateau lake, Brule river, Crampton lake, Crystal lake, Cyrus lake, Lac Vieux Desert, Little Presque Isle lake, Mamie lake, Mill lake, Montreal river, Norwood lake, Plum lake, Roach lake, Smoky lake, State Line lake, Tenderfoot lake, West Bay lake |
No open season |
||
|
(d) LARGEMOUTH BASS AND SMALLMOUTH BASS |
|||
|
1m. Smoky lake |
Third Saturday in June to December 31 |
5 in total |
None except that possession of fish from 14 to 18 is prohibited and only one may be longer than 18 |
|
January 1 to Friday preceding the third Saturday in June |
0 |
None |
|
|
2. Basin lake, Big lake, Big Bad Water lake, Big Bateau lake, Brule river, Crampton lake, Crystal lake, Cyrus lake, Lac Vieux Desert, Little Presque Isle lake, Mamie lake, Menominee river, Mill lake, Montreal river, Norwood lake, Plum lake, Roach lake, State Line lake, Tenderfoot lake, West Bay lake |
Third Saturday in June to December 31 |
5 in total |
14 |
|
January 1 to Friday preceding the third Saturday in June |
0 |
None |
|
|
(e) MUSKELLUNGE |
|||
|
1. Menominee river from the Hattie Street dam in the city of Marinette downstream to the eastern end of the breakwalls in Green Bay |
June 1 to December 31 on open water |
1 |
54 |
|
2. Basin lake, Big lake, Big Bad Water lake, Big Bateau lake, Brule river, Crampton lake, Crystal lake, Cyrus lake, Lac Vieux Desert, Little Presque Isle lake, Mamie lake, Menominee river upstream of the Hattie Street dam in the city of Marinette, Mill lake, Montreal river, Norwood lake, Plum lake, Roach lake, Smoky lake, State Line lake, Tenderfoot lake, West Bay lake |
June 1 to December 31 on open water |
1 |
50 |
|
(f) NORTHERN PIKE |
First Saturday in May to March 1 |
5 |
No size limit |
|
(g) TROUT AND SALMON |
|||
|
1. Basin lake, Big lake, Big Bad Water lake, Big Bateau lake, Brule river downstream from U.S. highway 2, Crampton lake, Crystal lake, Cyrus lake, Lac Vieux Desert, Little Presque Isle lake, Mamie lake, all waters of the Menominee river not otherwise listed in this paragraph, Mill lake, Montreal river upstream of Superior falls, Norwood lake, Plum lake, Roach lake, Smoky lake, State Line lake, Tenderfoot lake, West Bay lake |
Last Saturday in April to September 30 |
5 in total |
7 |
|
2. Montreal river downstream from Superior falls, Menominee river from its mouth upstream to the first dam, Smoky Lake |
No closed season |
5 in total |
10 |
|
3. Brule river upstream from U.S. highway 2 |
Last Saturday in April to September 30 |
5 in total |
Brook trout 8 Brown trout 12 |
|
(h) WALLEYE AND SAUGER |
|||
|
1. In lakes outside the Ceded Territory as defined in s. NR 13.02 (1) |
First Saturday in May to March 1 |
5 in total |
15 |
|
2. In rivers & impoundments outside the Ceded Territory as defined in s. NR 13.02(1) |
March 2 to the Friday before the first Saturday in May |
1 in total |
15 |
|
First Saturday in May to March 1 |
5 in total |
15 |
|
|
3. In lakes within the Ceded Territory as defined in s. NR 13.02(1) |
First Saturday in May to March 1 |
3 in total |
15 |
|
4. In rivers &impoundments within the Ceded Territory as defined in s. NR 13.02(1) |
March 2 to the Friday before the first Saturday in May |
1 in total |
15 |
|
First Saturday in May to March 1 |
3 in total |
15 |
|
|
(i) RUFFE |
No open season |
. |
. |
|
(j) CATFISH |
No closed season |
10 |
No size limit |
|
(k) CISCO (lake herring), WHITEFISH, and their hybrids |
No closed season |
10 in total |
No size limit |
