Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Natural Resources › NR 1-99 - Fish, Game and Enforcement, Forestry and Recreation › Chapter NR 20 - Fishing: Inland Waters; Outlying Waters › Subchapter I - Purpose and Definitions › Section NR 20.03 - Definitions

Current through June 24, 2024
In this chapter:
(1) "Angler" means any person engaged in
				  fishing.
(2) "Artificial fly" means
				  a single hook dressed with fur, feathers, hair, silk, tinsel, thread or similar
				  material to imitate the natural food of fish.
(3) "Artificial lure" means a spoon, spinner,
				  jig, plug or other fish bait made of hair, feathers, cork, wood, rubber, metal,
				  plastic or other synthetic materials, or combinations of these materials. An
				  "artificial lure" may not include natural or organic foodstuffs such as corn,
				  marshmallows, dough, cheese, meat, living or dead organisms or parts of those
				  items, except hair, feathers, cork, liquid scents, wood or rubber.
(5) "Barbless hooks" means hooks with no
				  barbs, or hooks with barbs that have been compressed to be in complete contact
				  with the shank of the hook.
(6)
				  "Business day" has the meaning given it in s. 421.301 (6), Stats.
(6g) "Carp" means common carp
				  (
Cyprinus carpio
), grass carp (
Ctenopharyngodon
				  Idella
), silver carp (
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
),
				  bighead carp (
Aristichthys nobilis
), black carp
				  (
Mylopharyngodon piceus
), and goldfish (
Carassius
				  auratus
).
(6m) "Circle
				  hook" means a hook that is curved in a circular or oval shape so that the tip
				  of the point is turned and perpendicular to the shank and is designed so that
				  the tip end of the hook is not offset or angled sideways and is in alignment
				  with the shank.
Note: The top picture displays a J hook (left) and a
					 circle hook (right). The bottom picture displays a non-offset hook (left) and
					 an offset hook (right).
Click Here
					 To View Image
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					 To View Image
(8)
				  "Daily bag limit" means the maximum number of fish that may be reduced to a
				  person's possession from a specified waterbody or portion of a waterbody in one
				  day.
(9) "Department" means the
				  department of natural resources.
(10) "Dip net" means a piece of netting
				  suspended from a round or square frame that does not exceed 8 feet in diameter
				  or 8 feet square.
(10m) "Disinfect"
				  or "disinfected" has the meaning given in s.  NR 19.001 (5r).
(11) "Fish length" means the distance from
				  the tip of the snout in a straight line to the utmost end of the tail fin fully
				  compressed.
(12) "Fishing" or
				  "fish", when used as a verb, means to take, capture, kill or attempt to take,
				  capture or kill any variety of fish in the waters of the state.
(13) "Fishing shelter" means any building,
				  tent, vehicle, shanty or similar enclosure used for the purpose of
				  fishing.
(14) "Game fish" has the
				  meaning found in s. 29.001 (41), Stats.
(15) "Green Bay" means those waters of Lake
				  Michigan located to the west of the Green Bay-Lake Michigan line. For the
				  purposes of s.  NR 20.20, Green Bay shall mean Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay, Sawyer's
				  Harbor, the Sturgeon Bay ship canal from Sturgeon Bay to a line located in the
				  NE¼ of the NW¼, section 22, T27N, R26E, Door county, commencing
				  at a point on the southwest shore of the Sturgeon Bay ship canal directly
				  beneath the center of the Wisconsin public service company power line and
				  extending in a northeasterly direction beneath and parallel to the center of
				  the power line to a point on the northeast shore of the ship canal and the Fox
				  river from its mouth at the east shore of the Fox river where the metal walkway
				  extends out from shore at 44° 32' 18.5274,N, 88° 0'11.628,W and the
				  west shore of the Fox river at 44°32.363'N, 88°00.395'W, up to the dam
				  at DePere. For purposes of this chapter, "Green Bay" does not include that
				  portion of Green Bay bounded by the mouth of the Menominee river on the west,
				  the "government pier" or breakwall on the south, the "lighthouse pier" or
				  breakwall on the north, and a line connecting the eastern-most points of those
				  breakwalls on the east.
(16) "Green
				  Bay-Lake Michigan line" means a line commencing at the northwest side of the
				  Northport dock where it joins the shoreline in section 33, T33N, R29E; then
				  running northeasterly to the range light (signal light) on Plum island; then
				  running along the north and west shore of Plum island to the U.S. coast guard
				  station; then running northerly to the southwesterly point on Shellswick dock,
				  which is located on Lobdell's point on Washington island; then running along
				  Shellswick dock to the shoreline of Lobdell's point; then running along the
				  west shore of Washington island to Boyer's Bluff light; then running north to
				  its terminus at the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary line.
(17) "Lake Michigan" means those waters of
				  Lake Michigan located east of the Green Bay-Lake Michigan line and those waters
				  of the Sturgeon Bay ship canal east of a line located directly beneath the
				  center of the Wisconsin public service company power lines.
(18) "Lake Michigan tributaries" means the
				  Pike river and its tributaries, Kenosha and Racine counties; Kewaunee river and
				  its tributaries excluding Little Scarboro, Scarboro, Roger and Casco creeks,
				  Kewaunee county; Manitowoc river and its tributaries upstream to the first dam
				  or lake, Manitowoc county; Milwaukee river upstream to the Grafton dam in the
				  village of Grafton and tributaries to the Milwaukee river upstream to the first
				  dam or lake; Menomonee river upstream to the Lepper dam in the village of
				  Menomonee Falls and tributaries to the Menomonee river upstream to the first
				  dam or lake; Sauk creek and its tributaries upstream to the first dam or lake,
				  Ozaukee county; Sheboygan river downstream to the coast guard station and its
				  tributaries excluding Unnamed tributary (locally known as Willow creek),
				  Sheboygan county; and all other tributaries to Lake Michigan upstream to the
				  first dam or lake.
(19) "Lake
				  Winnebago system" means Lakes Buttes des Morts, Winneconne, Poygan, Winnebago
				  and all their tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam including
				  the Fox river from Lake Winnebago upstream to the dam above Princeton and all
				  its tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam and the Wolf river
				  from its mouth upstream to the dam in the city of Shawano and all its
				  tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam including Cincoe lake,
				  Partridge Crop lake and Partridge lake in Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake,
				  Marquette, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago
				  counties.
(19d) "Landing net" means
				  a net suspended on a frame with an attached handle and used to land a fish that
				  has been caught using hook and line or to net fish as authorized with the use
				  of dip nets under this chapter or chs.  NR 21  to  23.
(19g) "Live fish" means, for purposes of s.
				   NR 20.08, any fish that is handled or treated in a manner that will keep it
				  alive, such as keeping it in water, or that is revived later by placement back
				  into water. "Live fish" includes any minnow possessed by a person for use as
				  bait and that dies while the person who possesses it is on the water, bank or
				  shore for the purpose of fishing, but only until the minnow is transported away
				  from water, bank or shore where it died.
(19r) "Live fish eggs" means, for purposes of
				  s.  NR 20.08, fertilized or unfertilized fish eggs that are handled or treated
				  in a manner likely to keep them alive or viable for the purpose of
				  propagation.
(20) "Lower Wisconsin
				  river" means the Wisconsin river including all sloughs, bayous, flowages and
				  tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first highway bridge in Columbia,
				  Sauk, Dane, Iowa, Richland, Grant and Crawford counties upstream from the
				  Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad tracks in Grant and Crawford
				  counties.
(20m) "Lure" means any
				  object used for fishing that is capable of attracting fish, regardless of
				  whether that object includes one or more hooks or is hookless, but "lure" does
				  not include aggregators of hooks, baits, or lures, including devices commonly
				  known as "Alabama" or "umbrella" rigs.
(21) "Major Green Bay tributaries" means Duck
				  creek upstream to the first dam above the Pamperin park foot bridge in the
				  village of Howard, located at coordinates 44° 32' 27.8514,N, 88° 6'
				  39.1674,W on the Oneida Golf and Riding Club property, city of Green Bay,
				  excluding its tributaries, Suamico river upstream to CTH HS, East river
				  upstream to Hoffman road (CTH XX) excluding its tributaries, Brown county;
				  Peshtigo river upstream to the Peshtigo dam, Little river upstream to Radar
				  road, Marinette county; Little Suamico river upstream to CTH J excluding
				  tributaries, Pensaukee river upstream to CTH J excluding tributaries, Oconto
				  river upstream to Stiles dam excluding tributaries except Little river, Little
				  river upstream to state highway 141 excluding tributaries, Oconto
				  county.
(22) "Mendota lake" means
				  Mendota lake, Cherokee lake, Warner Park lagoons, Pheasant Branch creek from
				  its mouth upstream to county highway M, Sixmile creek from its mouth upstream
				  to state highway 19, and Yahara river from its mouth upstream to state highway
				  19, Dane county.
(23) "Mid lake
				  reef complex" means those waters of Lake Michigan within the following area:
				  All waters bounded by a line beginning at a point where 43 degrees 7 minutes
				  north latitude and 87 degrees 40 minutes west longitude intersect, northerly to
				  43 degrees 20 minutes north latitude, easterly to 87 degrees 20 minutes west
				  longitude, northerly to 43 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, easterly to the
				  Wisconsin-Michigan state line, southerly to 43 degrees north latitude, westerly
				  to 87 degrees 14 minutes west longitude, northerly to 43 degrees 3 minutes
				  north latitude, westerly to 87 degrees 18 minutes west longitude, southerly to
				  43 degrees north latitude, westerly to 87 degrees 23 minutes west longitude,
				  northwesterly to 43 degrees 7 minutes north latitude, and westerly to 87
				  degrees 40 minutes west latitude. This area encompasses the elevated areas of
				  the lake bed commonly known as the Sheboygan reef, the Northeast reef, the
				  Milwaukee reef, and the East reef.
(24) "Minnow dip net" has the same meaning as
				  "dip net".
(25) "Minnow seine"
				  means a seine that does not exceed 35 feet in length with mesh that does not
				  exceed one-half inch stretch measure.
(26) "Minnow trap" means a device for
				  catching minnows that does not exceed 24 inches in length and does not exceed
				  16 inches in width with an opening in the throat of the trap that does not
				  exceed 1½ inches in diameter.
(27) "Muskellunge" means fish of the species
Esox masquinongy
and includes muskellunge - northern pike
				  hybrids.
(28) "Openly exposed"
				  means open to view by a person in a passing vehicle.
(28m) "Outlying trout and salmon waters"
				  means those waters designated as outlying trout and salmon waters pursuant to
				  s. 29.2285 (1), Stats., Lake Michigan tributaries as defined in sub. (18), and
				  the Little river from its confluence with the Oconto river upstream to the
				  highway 141 bridge.
(29) "Panfish"
				  means the following fish species: yellow perch, bluegill, black crappie, white
				  crappie, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, warmouth and orangespotted
				  sunfish.
(30) "Position fishing"
				  means fishing from a boat in a manner where the fishing line extends vertically
				  into the water while the boat is maneuvered by the use of a motor.
(31) "Possession limit" means the maximum
				  number of fish that a person may possess at any location, and includes all fish
				  stored or controlled by a person, regardless of the person's proximity to the
				  location of storage. The possession limit is twice the total daily bag limit
				  specified in s.  NR 20.18  except as provided in s.  NR 20.19.
(31m) "Quick-strike rig" means a bait rig
				  with one or more treble hooks attached to the body of a minnow, behind the
				  head. This rig may include a jig or other hook in the snout of a minnow along
				  with one or more treble hooks attached to the body of a minnow.
(32) "Rough fish" has the meaning found in s.
				  29.001 (74), Stats.
(33) "Safe
				  harvest" means a level of harvest that incorporates an appropriate margin of
				  safety, estimates of the population and acceptable exploitation rates which
				  will reasonably prevent harvest of more than 35% of the population of adult
				  walleyes or 27% of the population of adult muskellunge. The margin of safety
				  assures that the true safe harvest is not exceeded in more than 1 of 40 cases.
				  For waters where a population estimate has not been made, a regression model
				  based upon population estimates from other waters will be used.
(34) "Secretary" means secretary of the
				  department of natural resources.
(35) "Seine" has the meaning found in s.
				  29.522 (3), Stats.
(36) "Setline"
				  means a line with one or more hooks fastened to it and designed to be set or
				  left unattended in the water for the purpose of taking fish.
(37) "Set or bank pole" means a pole equipped
				  with a line with one or more hooks fastened to it, designed to be used for
				  fishing from the banks of lakes or rivers and set or left unattended.
(37m) "Sheboygan marsh" means waters above
				  the dam within the area commonly known as Sheboygan Marsh county park,
				  including Sheboygan lake and its tributaries upstream to the first road
				  crossing.
(37t) "Sinker release
				  device" means any device that is designed to release a weight or sinker from a
				  fishing line upon a strike from a fish while trolling.
(37w) "Spear" means a pole or shaft with an
				  attached sharp barbed point or points designed for the purpose of impaling a
				  fish, but does not include a snag line or snag pole, snaghook or cluster of
				  hooks that might be used for snagging as prohibited by s.  NR 20.06 (8).
(38) "Spearing" or "spear,"
				  when used as a verb, means fishing with a device consisting of a shaft with an
				  attached sharp point or points, including spears, bow and arrow, crossbow and
				  bolt, and underwater spear guns.
Note: Under s. 29.405, Stats., if the department
					 establishes an open season for taking rough fish with a bow and arrow on a
					 particular body of water, the department shall also allow the use of a crossbow
					 to take rough fish on that body of water under the same conditions that apply
					 to the use of a bow and arrow to take rough fish on that body of
					 water.
(39)
				  "Telemetry device" means any device attached to or implanted in a fish that
				  transmits a sonic or electronic signal.
(39m) "Total daily bag limit" specified in s.
				   NR 20.18  means the maximum number of fish that may be reduced to a person's
				  possession in one day from all waters or portions of waters fished that
				  day.
(39t) "Treble hook" means
				  three evenly spaced hooks joined by a common shaft to form one hook with three
				  points.
(40) "Troll" or "trolling"
				  means fishing by trailing any lure, bait or similar device that may be used to
				  attract or catch fish from a boat propelled by a means other than drifting,
				  pedaling, paddling, or rowing. Casting and immediate retrieval of a bait, lure
				  or similar device while the motor is running or position fishing is not
				  trolling.
(41) "Trout stream" means
				  those waters or portions of waters designated by the department pursuant to s.
				   NR 1.02 (7).
Note: Copy available for review at the Bureau of
					 Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection, Department of Natural Resources,
					 101 S. Webster Street, P.O. Box 7921, Madison WI 53707.
(42) "Unattended line" means a fishing line
				  to which the person using the line is not actively directing his or her
				  attention and, during open water, any line that is more than 100 yards from the
				  person using the line.
(42m)
				  "Upriver lakes" means Lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan.
(43) "Yellowstone lake" means Yellowstone
				  lake and the Yellowstone river from Yellowstone lake upstream to county highway
				  F.