Fishing Wisconsin: Spearing and Netting Regulations for 2006-2007

The Wisconsin Spearing & Netting Regulations, 2006-2007 [PDF 80KB] includes regulatory information on rough fish spearing, dipnetting rough fish, bowfishing, and harvesting turtles, frogs and crayfish.

New Legislation on Night Bowfishing

Bowfishing at night on all navigable waters during open spearing season.

• SB-158 was signed by the Governor on 4-8-2006 as 2005 Wisconsin Act 291
• This change takes effect beginning on April 21, 2006.
• This Act removed the restrictions which limited night bow fishing to certain inland lakes. This Act also creates an exemption from the 10 p.m. – 7 a.m. shining restriction from Sept. 15 to Dec. 31 for a person who possesses or uses a light while using a bow and arrow for taking rough fish.
  
  

  In addition, this Act created a new Section 29.405 of the statutes which reads:

  Fishing with bow and arrow.
  
  (a) No person may do any of the following:

  1. Take rough fish with a bow and arrow unless the arrow is equipped with a metal barbed tip that is attached to the bow with a tethered line that allows for the retrieval of the arrow and the fish.
  2. Release or return any rough fish taken with a bow and arrow, whether dead or alive, to the waters of this state.
  3. Leave any rough fish taken with a bow and arrow, whether dead or alive, on the ice or banks of any waters of this state.

  (b) Any person who takes rough fish with a bow and arrow in any waters of this state shall remove the fish from those waters and use or dispose of the fish in an appropriate manner as determined by the department.
  
  (c) 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 allow the taking of rough fish with a bow and arrow on that body of water from sunset to sunrise during that open season.
  

  Last Revised: Tuesday February 05 2008