Wisconsin Recreation Facts - Fish & Fishing
Wisconsin waters are home to 159 fish species in 27 families; 145 of these species are native to the state and 14 are introduced non-native species.
The sturgeon is the state's largest and longest-lived fish; in fact, the world record sturgeon taken by hook and line was a 170-pound, 10-ounce giant hauled from Wisconsin's Yellow Lake in Burnett County in 1979.
The muskellunge, or musky, is the state fish.
Walleye are anglers' favorite targets, but panfish are the most frequently caught species.
Ten fish species are endangered at the state level and 11 species are threatened. No Wisconsin fish are listed as endangered or threatened at the federal level.
About 45 percent of Wisconsin residents say they hunt or fish, according to results from a study by the University of Wisconsin Survey Center (UWSC) and the National Sporting Goods Association.
A 2001 national survey indicated that 25 percent of Wisconsin adults reported having fished in the last year.
Resident and nonresident anglers bought 1.4 million fishing licenses in the license year that ended March 1, 2002.
Wisconsin ranks as one of the top five fishing destinations for out-of-state anglers, behind the more populous states of Florida, California and Texas.
Women make up 33 percent of freshwater anglers.
About 85 percent of U.S. freshwater anglers start fishing at age 12 or younger.
About 56 percent of U.S. anglers practice catch and release. In Wisconsin, musky anglers have a particularly strong catch and release ethic; they kept only 2 percent of the musky caught in 1999.
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