Trout and salmon
Fishing Wisconsin
Be sure to view definitions for help in reading these tables.
| Waters | Dates for Hook and Line Harvest |
|---|---|
| Early inland trout waters Catch and Release | 5 a.m. on the first Saturday in January to the Friday preceding the First Saturday in May at midnight. |
| General Inland Trout Season | First Saturday in May from 5 a.m. to Oct. 15. |
| Boundary and Outlying Waters | Dates for Hook and Line Harvest |
| Mid lake reef complex | Continuous except there is no open season for lake trout. |
| Green Bay, major Green Bay tributaries, all other waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Michigan tributaries | Continuous. |
| All other tributary streams, rivers and ditches to Green Bay upstream to the first dam or lake | First Saturday in May to March 1. |
| Lake Superior (does not include Lake Superior tributaries) | Continuous except for the open season for lake trout is Dec. 1 to Sept. 30. |
| All Wisconsin-Michigan Boundary waters, except as listed below. | Last Saturday in April to Sept. 30. |
| Montreal and Menominee rivers from their mouths upstream to the first dam and Smokey Lake | No closed season. |
| Brule River (i.e., "boundary" Brule in Florence & Forest Counties) upstream from US Highway 2 | Last Saturday in April to Sept. 30. |
Exceptions
Not all Wisconsin waters follow the fishing season dates for a species for general inland waters or boundary and outlying waters. Exceptions do exist! You must consult the special county regulations in the current hook and line or trout regulations guides, as appropriate, to determine if any special season dates exist for the particular waters you plan to fish. This is the only way to determine whether or not the waters you plan to fish follow the season dates for general inland or boundary and outlying waters listed below. Dates are inclusive and may be subject to change.
You must also consult the current fishing regulations for information concerning bag and minimum length limits for a species.