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 June 24, 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