2026 regulation year
Minnesota Lake trout 2026 — Season, Bag Limit, Size Rules
Salvelinus namaycush
Last updated
Lake trout in Minnesota are split between inland Boundary-Waters-area lakes (closed Oct 1 – Dec 31 in most cases) and Lake Superior (year-round with zone-specific bag and slot). Trolling and deep-water jigging are the dominant methods.
Season
Inland lakes: Jan 1 – Sep 30 (most). Lake Superior: year-round.
– Inland lakes (most)
Bag & possession
- Daily bag
- 2 / day (inland); 3 / day (Lake Superior zones)
- Possession
- Same as daily bag
Size, slot, trophy rules
- Size
- Lake-specific minimums; protected slot 20–36 in on some inland lakes
- Slot
- 20–36 in protected slot on some inland trophy lakes
Gear restrictions
- Hook-and-line, trolling, or downrigger legal
- No spearing of lake trout in inland waters
Named water-body overrides
Where statewide rules differ on specific Minnesota waters:
Lake Superior (MN waters)
Year-round; zone-based 3 / day, slot enforced near North Shore
Saganaga Lake (BWCAW)
Wilderness rules + statewide season; popular ice-out destination
Seagull Lake (BWCAW)
Wilderness regs; live bait restrictions on some trout lakes
Trout Lake (Cook County)
Statewide 2 / day; spring opener heavily fished
Official source
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources publishes the authoritative 2026 Minnesotafishing regulations. Always verify the current rule before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override what's published here.