Lake Superior lake trout harvest
Fishing Wisconsin
Lake Trout Harvest (WI-2 Waters)
The lake trout harvest will be updated periodically throughout the season
Harvest Chronology
Click on the white crosshatch icon below to see lake trout harvest totals for 2022-2023. Monthly harvest totals will be updated periodically. The season may close when the harvest total reaches the trigger. Please note: The harvest number may not include all charter reports.
- Lake trout harvest totals 2022-2023
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Date Month Harvest Total Harvest Number To Reach Quota Number To Reach Trigger Dec. 20221112,6669,499Jan. 2023303112,6369,469Feb. 202353756812,0998,932March 202337494211,7258,558April 2023194311,7248,557May 2023 768 1,711 10,956 7,789June 2023 1,716 3,427 9,240 6,073July 2023 3,171 6,598 6,069 2,902Aug. 2023 2,205 8,803 3,864 697Sep. 2023 Monthly harvest totals will be updated periodically
Three months until the end of the lake trout season, but July and August are always the highest harvest months. June's fishing effort was a little lower than in previous years, so the harvest was also a little below average for the month. This has been the trend during the spring and early summer of 2023, so we are at a slower-than-average pace when it comes to total lake trout harvest. So, compared to the past couple of years, we have a lower probability (but not 0%) of closing the season early.
Lake Trout Sport Angler Quota Calculation
The lake trout sport angler allocation for WI-2 during the 2022-2023 fishing season is 12,670 fish. Angler harvest is monitored using a creel survey and mandatory charter captain reports. A harvest trigger has been set to prevent overharvest of lake trout. When the 9,500 fish trigger is reached, lake trout fishing in WI-2 may be immediately closed, with no more fishing for lake trout. The trigger was set to account for data processing delays during potential high harvest.
Lake Superior Lake Trout Management
The lake trout in Lake Superior are managed within two harvest zones (WI-1 and WI-2). Lake trout numbers declined in the WI-2 zone – the Apostle Islands area of Lake Superior - from 2003 to 2012. As a result, harvest quotas were reduced for sport and commercial fishers.
How was this regulation selected? Over the past several years, Fisheries Management has asked anglers for input regarding various lake trout regulation options. In the fall of 2017, anglers participated in a poll that included four different bag and length limit options (see below) and the associated risk with each option reaching the quota before the end of the season (Sept. 30).
Results from the survey indicated that most participants supported a regulation that included a bag of two lake trout with a 15-inch minimum and one fish that could be longer than 25 inches. This regulation option allows the most significant harvest opportunity but also has a moderate risk of reaching the quota before the end of the season.