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fishregs

2026 regulation year

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area Fishing License 2026

Last updated

Minnesota

Mississippi NRRA runs on the host state's fishing license; the National Park Service does not sell a separate permit here.

Quick answer

State fishing license applies

Mississippi NRRA is the ONLY URBAN-RIVER NPS UNIT IN THE NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM — a 72-mile Mississippi River corridor through the Twin Cities metropolitan area (Anoka County downstream past Saint Paul to the Dakota County line). It is a PARTNERSHIP PARK — lands inside the NPS-authorized boundary are predominantly owned and managed by Minnesota DNR, regional + city park districts (Three Rivers Park District, Saint Paul Parks, Minneapolis Parks), and private landowners; the NPS itself owns very little of the land. A valid Minnesota DNR fishing licence is required for anglers age 16 through 89 (under 16 + over 90 are exempt) — there is no separate NPS permit and no park-specific Compendium override. All Minnesota DNR open seasons, bag limits, possession limits, gear restrictions, and special-water-body rules apply.

What to know before you fish Mississippi NRRA

  • Park context: Mississippi National River & Recreation Area protects ~54,000 acres along the 72-mile Mississippi River corridor through the Twin Cities metropolitan area (from the north park boundary in Anoka County downstream past Minneapolis + Saint Paul to the Dakota / Washington County line). It is the only NPS unit in the country focused exclusively on a major-city stretch of major river — the urban-river analog to the inland-riverway NPS units (Buffalo NR, Niobrara NSR, Ozark NSR, etc.). The river corridor includes the Saint Anthony Falls historic lock-and-dam district + Pike Island + the confluence with the Minnesota River + the Lower Saint Anthony Falls / Lock & Dam #1 system + nine Mississippi River locks-and-dams operated by USACE. Park HQ: 111 E. Kellogg Blvd., Suite 105, Saint Paul, MN 55101 — (651) 293-0200.
  • Partnership-park structure: most lands inside the NPS-authorized boundary are NOT owned by NPS — they are owned + managed by Minnesota DNR (state parks + Wildlife Management Areas + state forests), the Three Rivers Park District (Hennepin County regional parks — Coon Rapids Dam, Fort Snelling, Hidden Falls, etc.), Saint Paul Parks & Recreation, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, and private landowners. NPS coordinates the corridor + provides interpretive programming but defers to the underlying landowner's regulations. Practical implication: state + local park rules apply to the property you stand on; there is no Mississippi NRRA-specific fishing-regulation overlay independent of the underlying jurisdiction.
  • Licensing: visitors fishing inside Mississippi NRRA must possess a valid Minnesota DNR licence per state statute. A licence is required age 16 through 89 (under 16 + 90 and over fish without a licence); resident + non-resident + 1-day + 3-day + 7-day + annual + lifetime options apply. Saint Paul resident discount applies for Saint Paul park district waters when policy is in effect — verify Minnesota DNR + Saint Paul Parks & Recreation current rules. Trout stamp + walleye stamp + sturgeon tag (lake sturgeon catch-and-release permit) apply per Minnesota DNR statewide rules.
  • Saint Anthony Falls as a fish-migration barrier: Saint Anthony Falls (the original natural waterfall + the modern Saint Anthony Falls Lock & Dam) is the historic upstream limit of fish migration on the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico — many fish species native to the lower river do not occur naturally above the falls. The fish diversity of the river through Minneapolis + Saint Paul + downstream (below the falls) reflects the full lower-Mississippi assemblage; above the falls the fish community is more limited.
  • Anchor species (per NPS Fish of the Mississippi River + Minnesota DNR statewide rules): SMALLMOUTH BASS `Micropterus dolomieu`; WHITE BASS `Morone chrysops`; BLUEGILL `Lepomis macrochirus`; BLACK + WHITE CRAPPIE `Pomoxis spp.`; CHANNEL CATFISH `Ictalurus punctatus`; FLATHEAD CATFISH `Pylodictis olivaris`; WALLEYE `Sander vitreus`; SAUGER `Sander canadensis`; NORTHERN PIKE `Esox lucius`; MUSKELLUNGE `Esox masquinongy`; FRESHWATER DRUM (SHEEPSHEAD) `Aplodinotus grunniens`; LONGNOSE GAR `Lepisosteus osseus`; SHOVELNOSE STURGEON `Scaphirhynchus platorynchus` (regulated harvest with tag); LAKE STURGEON `Acipenser fulvescens` — Minnesota DNR catch-and-release programme + return-to-water-immediately + permit required for limited tagged-harvest seasons (verify current-year DNR sturgeon rules before targeting); PADDLEFISH `Polyodon spathula` (rare in this reach, catch-and-release only); SKIPJACK HERRING `Alosa chrysochloris`; AMERICAN EEL `Anguilla rostrata` (returning population). The reach below Saint Anthony Falls hosts 120+ documented fish species — one of the most diverse stretches of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.
  • INVASIVE CARP — critical regulatory context: invasive Silver Carp `Hypophthalmichthys molitrix` + Bighead Carp `Hypophthalmichthys nobilis` + Black Carp `Mylopharyngodon piceus` + Grass Carp `Ctenopharyngodon idella` are present (or under monitoring) in the lower reaches of the Mississippi River and represent a major management priority. Minnesota DNR maintains a Mississippi River Invasive Carp Action Plan with Lock & Dam #1 + Lock & Dam #2 as functional upstream-migration barriers. All invasive carp caught must NOT be released — verify Minnesota DNR current-year invasive carp disposal rules + reporting requirements (DNR encourages reporting unusual catches by photo + GPS). AIS Clean-Drain-Dry mandate applies to all trailer-launched vessels site-wide; zebra mussels + Eurasian watermilfoil are established in much of the corridor.
  • Public-access reaches with fishing piers + bank access (representative — many more inside the corridor): Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park (Three Rivers Park District), Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, North Mississippi Regional Park (Minneapolis), Boom Island Park (Minneapolis), Hidden Falls Regional Park (Saint Paul), Crosby Farm Regional Park (Saint Paul), Fort Snelling State Park (Minnesota DNR — confluence of Mississippi + Minnesota Rivers), Pike Island, Lilydale Regional Park, Harriet Island, Indian Mounds Regional Park, and downstream into Dakota County. Most public-access reaches are managed by the underlying local + state landowner; visiting anglers should check posted rules at each access for use-fees, parking permits, and any reach-specific overlays (e.g. Fort Snelling State Park reach + Minnesota DNR special-regs reaches).

How licensing works at Mississippi NRRA

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area runs on the host state's regular fishing license — there is no separate National Park Service fishing permit to buy. Use the same Minnesota license you would use anywhere else in the state. Park-specific regulations (gear restrictions, species closures, catch-and-release zones) still layer on top of the state rule, so read the unit's current fishing page before launching.

Compare what the Minnesota license costs on the non-resident fee table, or open the full Minnesota regulations.

Official source

Mississippi National River & Recreation Area publishes its authoritative 2026 fishing rules on the page below. Regulations change annually — verify the current year before you fish.

nps.gov →

Emergency-order & closure feed

On federal land, in-season closures don't go through the host state's DFW — they post to the unit's own news desk. Road closures that cut off river access, wildfire trailhead shutdowns, drought-driven access changes, and bear-activity lake closures all publish to Mississippi NRRA's National Park Service news feed. Subscribe before any long-haul trip.

Mississippi NRRA — National Park Service news releases

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Mississippi NRRA fishing license — FAQ

Do you need a fishing license to fish Mississippi National River & Recreation Area?
Mississippi NRRA runs on the host state's fishing license; the National Park Service does not sell a separate permit here.
Who issues the fishing license for Mississippi NRRA?
The host state's fish & wildlife agency issues the controlling fishing license for Mississippi NRRA — the Minnesota license. There is no federal fishing permit to buy here.
Is your Minnesota fishing license valid in Mississippi NRRA?
Yes — Mississippi NRRA runs on the Minnesota fishing license. The same license you use elsewhere in Minnesota covers the unit's waters, subject to any unit-specific regulation that layers on top.
Where are Mississippi NRRA fishing closures posted?
In-season closures inside Mississippi NRRA are published to the unit's National Park Service news feed (RSS), not the host state's emergency-order page. Subscribe to the feed on this page to catch road, wildfire, drought, and access closures before a trip.

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