Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 23.05

Current through October 28, 2024

Section NR 23.05 - Hook and line fishing

(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

Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 23.05

Cr. Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; am. (5) (d), Register, November, 1988, No. 395, eff. 12-1-88; am. (5) (h), cr. (5) (i), Register, December, 1989, No. 408, eff. 1-1-90; am. (5) (g), Register, January, 1991, No. 421, eff. 2-1-91; am. (1) (c), Register, March, 1992, No. 435, eff. 4-1-92; am. (5) (intro.), (a) and (b), r. and recr. (5) (d), (e), (f) and (h), cr. (5) (j), Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94; am. (2), Register, May, 1996, No. 485, eff. 6-1-96; am. (5) (d) 1., r. (5) (d) 2., Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 4-1-99; correction in (3) made under s. 13.93(2m) (b) 7, Stats., Register, June, 1999, No. 522; am. (5) (c), Register, December, 1999, No. 528, eff. 4-1-00; reprinted to correct error in (5) (d) 1., Register November 2001 No. 551; CR 03-014: r. and recr. (5) (c) Register November 2003 No. 575, eff. 4-1-04; CR 04-012: am. (5) (intro.) and (e) Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 4-1-05; CR 06-011: am. (5) (c) 1. Register September 2006 No. 609, eff. 10-1-06; CR 08-010: cr. (1m) Register November 2008 No. 635, eff. 4-1-09; CR 09-051: cr. (5) (c) 1m. Register June 2010 No. 654, eff. 7-1-10; CR 10-025: am. (5) (d) 1. Register October 2010 No. 658, eff. 11-1-10; CR 11-006: cr. (5) (k) Register October 2011 No. 670, eff. 4-1-12; CR 13-019: am. (5) (d), (e) Register December 2013 No. 696, eff. 4-1-14.

Amended by, EmR1609: emerg. am. (h), eff. 2-3-16; CR 15-042: am. (5) (h) 1., 2., cr. (5) (h) 3., 4. Register March 2016 No. 723, eff.4/1/2016

Amended by, CR 15-066: am. (5) (c) 1., 1m. Register May 2016 No. 725, eff. 6/1/2016.

Amended by, CR 19-009: am. (5) (intro.) Register February 2020 No. 770, eff. 3/1/2020

Amended by, CR 19-016: cr. (d) 1m., renum. (5) (d) 1. to (5) (d) 2. and am., am. (5) (e) Register March 2020 No. 771, eff. 4/1/2020

Amended by, CR 21-058: am. (4), r. and recr. (5) Register March 2022 No. 795, eff. 4/1/2022