2026 regulation year
Wisconsin Fishing Regulations 2026 — License Fees, Seasons, Bag Limits
Last updated
Wisconsin annual licences run April 1 through March 31 of the following year. The state publishes a main hook-and-line booklet plus a separate Great Lakes / Mississippi-river boundary-water booklet — both are authoritative for the waters they cover. Musky and walleye carry per-county and per-lake special-regs lists.
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License fees
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resident annual | $20.00 | |
| Resident 1-day | $10.00 | |
| Resident senior (65+) | $7.00 | |
| Resident sportsperson (combo hunt + fish) | $65.00 | |
| Resident lifetime | $484.00 | |
| Resident disabled veteran | Free | Free — eligibility required |
| Licence | Price (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Non-resident annual | $50.00 | |
| Non-resident family | $65.00 | |
| Non-resident 4-day | $24.00 | |
| Non-resident 15-day | $28.00 | |
| Non-resident 1-day | $10.00 |
Buy directly from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Fees may include processing surcharges at point of sale.
Top species — season, bag, size
| Species | Season | Daily bag | Size / slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| MuskellungeCompare across states → | Northern zone: last Sat in May – Dec 31; Southern zone: 1st Sat in May – Dec 31 | 1 / day | 40 in statewide minimum (50 in on listed trophy waters) |
| WalleyeCompare across states → | Northern zone: 1st Sat in May – 1st Sun in March; Southern zone: 1st Sat in May – 1st Sun in March | 3 / day (most inland waters) | 15 in minimum (most waters); per-lake slots apply |
| Smallmouth bassCompare across states → | Northern zone: harvest 3rd Sat in June – 1st Sun in March; Southern: harvest 1st Sat in May | 5 / day (smallmouth + largemouth combined) | 14 in minimum statewide |
| Largemouth bassCompare across states → | Northern zone: harvest 3rd Sat in June – 1st Sun in March; Southern: year-round | 5 / day (combined with smallmouth) | 14 in minimum statewide |
| Northern pikeCompare across states → | Open year-round on most inland waters | 5 / day (most waters); zone reductions on listed lakes | No statewide minimum; per-lake slot limits apply |
| Yellow perchCompare across states → | Open year-round (inland panfish); separate Great Lakes rules | 25 / day combined panfish (inland); ~15 on Lake Michigan | No minimum length (inland) |
| Bluegill | Open year-round on general inland waters | 25 / day combined panfish (10–15 on regulation waters) | No statewide minimum length |
| Brown troutCompare across states → | Streams Apr 4 – Oct 15; lakes May 2 – Oct 15; Great Lakes year-round | 5 trout / day combined (varies by stream category) | Per-stream-category length limits |
Notable water-body special regulations
Walleye + sturgeon special regs; sturgeon spearing licence required Feb
Musky trophy water: 50 in minimum
Great Lakes booklet applies; salmon + trout stamp required
MN/WI reciprocal licence rules; combined bag limits with MN
Famous spring walleye spawning run; designated walleye season + size rule; flies-only trout designations in upper headwaters
Premier WI North Shore trout stream; flies-only / no-kill stretches on portions; coaster brook trout restoration water
Separate Great Lakes regs zone; lake trout + salmon; Great Lakes trout / salmon stamp required
St. Croix River (WI/MN boundary)
Reciprocal-licence arrangement honoured with MN; muskie + smallmouth + walleye; National Scenic Riverway portion regulated by NPS
Salmon + lake trout charter fishery; Great Lakes stamp required; designated lake trout harvest zones
Petenwell + Castle Rock Lakes (Wisconsin River)
Walleye + muskie + bass; designated Class A1 muskie management waters with 50 in minimum
Lac Vieux Desert (WI/MI boundary)
Headwaters of the Wisconsin River on the WI/MI boundary (Vilas + Gogebic counties) — WI/MI compact governs muskie + walleye + smallmouth special rules; designated muskie water (size + bag set by compact, distinct from either state's interior rule); reciprocal-licence arrangement honoured for residents of either state on the lake body
Iron County impoundment within the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest (NHAL) — WDNR Class A1 muskie water with 50 in minimum; walleye special-regulation slot has been applied during recovery windows; native crappie + smallmouth statewide; state-forest access overlay (campsite + boat-launch permits) layered on fishing rules
Multi-lake chain (Vilas County) — Eagle / Cranberry / Catfish / Yellow Birch / Otter / Watersmeet / Voyager + connected lakes; WDNR-designated chain managed as a connected muskie + walleye + smallmouth fishery; several lakes carry 50 in muskie minimum (Class A1 designation), others Class A2 (40 in); chain navigation + slow-no-wake zones overlap fishing access
Apostle Islands (Lake Superior, WI)
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (NPS) overlay layered on WDNR Great Lakes booklet rules — lake trout + salmon designated zones; Great Lakes trout / salmon stamp required; some island shorelines closed seasonally for piping-plover + raptor nesting; trolling charters concentrated in southern channel; NPS dock + landing permits required for boat-access islands
Lac Courte Oreilles (Sawyer County)
WDNR special-regulation water (Sawyer County). Muskellunge 50 in minimum, 1 / day (vs the statewide 40 in default). Walleye 15 in minimum, 3 / day with a 20–24 in protected slot (no fish 20–24 in may be kept) and only 1 over 24 in. Smallmouth bass 18 in minimum, 1 / day; largemouth bass catch-and-release in the early-summer window, then no minimum, 5 / day.
Lake Wissota (Chippewa County)
WDNR special-regulation flowage (Chippewa County, Chippewa River). Muskellunge 50 in minimum, 1 / day (statewide default 40 in). Walleye 13 in minimum, 3 / day with a 16–24 in protected slot (none kept) and only 1 over 24 in.
WDNR special-regulation water (Polk County). Muskellunge 50 in minimum, 1 / day (statewide default 40 in). Walleye 15 in minimum, 3 / day with a 20–24 in protected slot (none kept) and only 1 over 24 in.
Pewaukee Lake (Waukesha County)
WDNR special-regulation lake (Waukesha County, southern zone) — one of southern Wisconsin's premier musky waters. Muskellunge 50 in minimum, 1 / day (statewide default 40 in). Northern pike 32 in minimum, 1 / day (vs the 26 in / 2 fish southern default). Walleye 18 in minimum, 3 / day (vs 15 in default).
Lac La Belle (Waukesha County)
WDNR special-regulation lake (Waukesha County, southern zone). Muskellunge 50 in minimum, 1 / day (statewide default 40 in). Walleye 28 in minimum, 1 / day. Northern pike 32 in minimum, 1 / day (vs 26 in / 2 default). Panfish reduced bag of 15 / day (vs the 25 / day statewide aggregate).
Big Green Lake (Green Lake County)
WDNR special-regulation lake (Green Lake County) — Wisconsin's deepest natural inland lake. Panfish reduced daily bag of 10 (vs the 25 / day statewide aggregate) to protect its bluegill and perch size structure; the lake-trout and cisco coldwater fishery is managed under statewide rules. (Muskellunge follows the statewide 40 in minimum here.)
WDNR research lake (Vilas County, within the Northern Highland–American Legion State Forest). Smallmouth bass 22 in minimum, 1 / day — a trophy special regulation. A free daily fishing permit from the Escanaba Lake Research Station is required (creel-data collection); largemouth bass, walleye, and panfish are managed under liberalized research-lake rules.
Timber Coulee Creek (Vernon County)
WDNR special-regulation trout stream (Vernon County, Coon Creek watershed) — a nationally known Driftless Area spring creek. Catch-and-release only: all trout must be immediately released. The statewide early season (first Saturday in January to the first Saturday in April) is catch-and-release, artificial lures only.
Castle Rock Creek (Grant County)
WDNR special-regulation trout stream (Grant County, Driftless Area — the Fennimore Fork / Castle Rock Spring reach). Catch-and-release — all trout must be immediately released — and only artificial lures may be used. (Distinct from Castle Rock Lake on the Wisconsin River.)
Big Spring Branch (Grant County)
WDNR special-regulation trout stream (Grant County, Driftless Area). Daily bag of 5 trout in total, but all brook trout must be immediately released; brown and rainbow trout have no minimum length. Only artificial lures may be used.
Namekagon River (Bayfield / Sawyer County)
WDNR special-regulation trout reach (Bayfield / Sawyer County) — a tributary of the St. Croix within the National Scenic Riverway. Trophy trout rule: only 1 trout over 14 in per day, and only artificial lures may be used.
Black Earth Creek (Dane County)
WDNR special-regulation trout stream (Dane County) — a renowned Driftless Area brown-trout fishery near Cross Plains. A designated trophy reach allows just 1 trout over 18 in per day; other reaches carry the 5-trout, any-length bag. The statewide early season (January–April) is catch-and-release, artificial lures only.
Kinnickinnic River (Pierce County)
WDNR special-regulation trout stream (Pierce / St. Croix County) — the 'Kinni,' a celebrated brown-trout river near River Falls. Daily bag of 5 trout, only one of which may exceed 12 in. The statewide early season (first Saturday in January to the first Saturday in April) is catch-and-release, artificial lures only.
WDNR special-regulation trout stream (Pierce County) — a classic Driftless Area spring-fed brown-trout river. Daily bag of 5 trout, only one of which may exceed 12 in. The statewide early season (January–April) is catch-and-release, artificial lures only.
Frequently asked questions
- Do you need a fishing license to fish in Wisconsin?
- Yes. Wisconsin requires residents and non-residents alike to hold a valid fishing license, with the usual exemptions for young children, state free-fishing days, and some senior or disabled-veteran categories. Buy directly from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; resident and non-resident fees are listed in the tables above.
- How much is a fishing license in Wisconsin?
- Resident fees range from $7.00 (resident senior (65+)) to $484.00 (resident lifetime); Non-resident fees range from $10.00 (non-resident 1-day) to $65.00 (non-resident family). The full breakdown — annual, multi-day, senior, and lifetime options — is in the license-fee tables above, and you can compare Wisconsin against every other state on the license-fee comparator.
- What fish can you catch in Wisconsin?
- Wisconsin anglers most commonly target Muskellunge, Walleye, Smallmouth bass, Largemouth bass, Northern pike, Yellow perch, and others. Each species sets its own season, daily bag, and size or slot limit — compare them in the species table above, or open a species page for the full 2026 rule.
- When does fishing season open in Wisconsin?
- It depends on the species — Wisconsin sets a separate season for each. Warmwater fish like bass, catfish, and panfish are open year-round in most of the state, while trout, walleye, salmon, and other cold-water or migratory species have dated seasons. The season column in the table above shows each one, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources can shift dates by emergency order.
- Are there special fishing rules on specific Wisconsin waters?
- Yes. 28 named Wisconsin waters carry regulations that differ from the statewide rule, including Lake Winnebago, Chippewa Flowage, Lake Michigan (WI waters), and 25 more. See the notable water-body special regulations above for the exact rule on each.
Official source
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is the authoritative source for Wisconsin fishing regulations. Always verify rules before fishing — emergency closures and in-season changes can override published booklets.
Visit official Wisconsin fishing regulations →
Emergency-order channel
In-season closures, slot-limit changes, and run-count-driven harvest pauses are posted to Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources's emergency-order feed — check it before any Wisconsin trip during the active season.