WISCONSIN, (WFRV) – As the weather starts to warm and the ice melts, anglers are gearing up for the 2022 fishing season in Wisconsin. This year, there are a few changes to regulations in certain rivers and lakes you should know about.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) explains that the opening day for fishing in the state is traditionally the first Saturday in May.
A few start and end dates can be seen below:
- General Inland Fishing is slated to start May 7 and run until March 5, 2023.
- General Inland Trout starts May 7 at 5 a.m. until Oct. 15.
- Largemouth Bass Northern Zone Harvest begins May 7 to March 5, 2023.
- Musky Southern Zone Harvest runs from May 7 until Dec. 31.
- Northern Pike is from May 7 – March 5, 2023.
- Walleye is open from May 7 to March 5, 2023.
A free fishing weekend is also scheduled for June 4-5. To see the full list of season dates for 2022, click here.
East District Regulation changes
According to the DNR, the changes below will be in effect for the May 7 fishing season opener.
| Body of water | Species of fish | Regulation |
|---|---|---|
| Big Hills Lake | Northern Pike | Daily bag limit of five and no size limit. |
| Comet Creek to Little Wolf River | Trout | An 8” minimum length limit and a daily bag limit of three in total. |
| Flume Creek to Little Wolf River | Trout | A daily bag limit is set to three in total with an 8” minimum length limit. |
| Huron Lake | Panfish | A daily bag limit of 10 panfish in total. |
| Irogami Lake | Northern Pike | There is a 25-35” protected slot and a daily bag limit of two. |
| Jackson Creek to Little Wolf River | Trout | Limit of three total for daily bags and an 8” minimum length limit. |
| Jones Creek to Little Wolf River | Trout | The min length limit is 8” and a total daily bag limit of three. |
| Little Wolf River | Trout | 8” minimum length limit and total daily bag limit at three. |
| Long Lake | Northern Pike | Total of two for a daily bag limit and a 25-35” protected slot. |
| Morris Lake | Northern Pike | There is no limit on minimum length but there is a daily bag limit of five. |
| North Branch Pemebonwon River | Trout | The total bag limit is set to five and there is no size limit. |
| Pine Lake | Northern Pike | No minimum length limit and a daily bag limit of five. |
| South Branch Pike River from Brock Pond to North Branch Pike River | Trout | There is no size limit but the total daily bag limit is five. |
| Tuttle Lake | Northern Pike | There is no minimum length limit, however, there is a daily bag limit of five. |
| Wausaukee River from the Wausaukee Dam to Menominee River | Trout | The daily bag limit is set at five in total and no size limit. |
| White Potato Lake | Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass | 14” minimum length limit for smallmouth bass and none for largemouth bass, the daily bag limit of five in total. |
| Wilson Lake | Northern Pike | Two for a daily bag limit total and 25-35” protected slot. |
To find a full list of the changes happening across the state, click here. For special regulations by county, click here.
To support ethical and responsible fishing, DNR officials say you can contact a 24-hr toll-free violation hotline by texting or calling 1-800-TIP-WDNR (1-800-847-9367).
