You will not go to jail for eating fish out of a particular stream or lake, and no one can stop you from fishing or eating the fish. A fish consumption advisory is a very conservative estimate of how much fish you can eat without any adverse health effects. Most people can safely eat at least some if not all of the fish they catch. Advisories vary and it is important to read each one carefully, as many include only certain species of fish. Pregnant and nursing women and children under the age of 7 are most sensitive to the effects of mercury.
Some advisories apply ONLY to sensitive groups, while others apply to the general population.
If you occasionally eat fish from an advisory area, it is very unlikely that you will get sick. Even in advisory areas, the mercury levels found in fish are well below what normally causes adverse health effects. If fish from an advisory area is a primary part of your diet, you should follow the advisory consumption levels, especially of the predatory species like bowfin and largemouth bass. However, if you have eaten fish from an advisory area, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, and are concerned about your health you may want to speak with a health care provider. Fish consumption advisories are directed towards sports and subsistence fishermen.