NR 23.03
NR 23.03
General restriction. Except as specifically allowed by this chapter, fishing in and possession of fishing equipment on the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters is prohibited.
NR 23.03 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86.
NR 23.04
NR 23.04
Reciprocity. Residents of Wisconsin and Michigan holding a resident fishing license from their respective states, or residents of other states holding a non-resident fishing license issued by Wisconsin or Michigan, may, in conformity with this chapter, fish by hook and line; spear and use dip nets to take minnows and rough fish in the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters.
NR 23.04 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86.
NR 23.05
NR 23.05
Hook and line fishing. NR 23.05(1)
(1) No person may use more than 3 hooks, baits or lures. The line or lines shall be attended at all times.
NR 23.05(1m)
(1m) No person may set, use or operate a landing net for any purpose other than for the purpose of landing fish legally hooked or to take fish as authorized with the use of dip nets under this chapter or
ch. NR 20.
NR 23.05(2)
(2) Any fish taken and retained in possession that is not released freely into the water immediately after capture shall be considered part of the angler's daily bag limit.
NR 23.05(3)
(3) No person may take fish by snagging or foul hooking unless authorized by
s. NR 20.06.
NR 23.05(4)
(4) No person may fish for fish of any variety during the closed season for trout in the Brule river upstream from the railroad bridge in section 29, township 42 north, range 34 west, Iron county, Michigan and section 25, township 41 north, range 15 east, Florence county, Wisconsin and in the Montreal river above the Saxon Falls flowage.
NR 23.05(5)
(5) The seasons, size limits and bag and possession limits for hook and line fishing in the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters for the species listed in this subsection, except as provided in
s. NR 23.06, are as follows:
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See PDF for table 
NR 23.05 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; am. (5) (d),
Register, November, 1988, No. 395, eff. 12-1-88; am. (5) (h), cr. (5) (i),
Register, December, 1989, No. 408, eff. 1-1-90; am. (5) (g),
Register, January, 1991, No. 421, eff. 2-1-91; am. (1) (c),
Register, March, 1992, No. 435, eff. 4-1-92; am. (5) (intro.), (a) and (b), r. and recr. (5) (d), (e), (f) and (h), cr. (5) (j),
Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94; am. (2),
Register, May, 1996, No. 485, eff. 6-1-96; am. (5) (d) 1., r. (5) (d) 2.,
Register, January, 1999, No. 517, eff. 4-1-99; correction in (3) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register, June, 1999, No. 522; am. (5) (c),
Register, December, 1999, No. 528, eff. 4-1-00; reprinted to correct error in (5) (d) 1.,
Register November 2001 No. 551;
CR 03-014: r. and recr. (5) (c)
Register November 2003 No. 575, eff. 4-1-04;
CR 04-012: am. (5) (intro.) and (e)
Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 4-1-05;
CR 06-011: am. (5) (c) 1.
Register September 2006 No. 609, eff. 10-1-06;
CR 08-010: cr. (1m)
Register November 2008 No. 635, eff. 4-1-09;
CR 09-051: cr. (5) (c) 1m.
Register June 2010 No. 654, eff. 7-1-10;
CR 10-025: am. (5) (d) 1.
Register October 2010 No. 658, eff. 11-1-10;
CR 11-006: cr. (5) (k)
Register October 2011 No. 670, eff. 4-1-12.
NR 23.055
NR 23.055
Modifications in daily bag limit and minimum size limit in response to tribal harvest. NR 23.055(1)
(1)
Adjustment. In order to prevent a total harvest of more than 35% of the adult walleye population or 27% of the adult muskellunge population, the secretary may lower the daily bag limit on walleye and increase the minimum size limit for muskellunge in specific waters in response to the harvest goals of the Chippewa bands for their spear, net or trap fisheries. The adjusted daily bag and size limits shall be in effect until the first Sunday in March of the year following the tribal harvest. The safe harvest levels on individual waters shall be determined by the department.
NR 23.055(1)(a)
(a)
Walleyes. The daily bag limit will be reduced when the department is notified by the Chippewa bands of their harvest goals on individual waters. The extent of the reduction depends upon the percent of the safe harvest they intend to take and the age of the population estimate used to determine the safe harvest or if a regression model was used to determine the safe harvest. The daily bag limits to be used with the different percentages and for various basis of determining the safe harvest are as follows:
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See PDF for table NR 23.055(1)(b)
(b)
Muskellunge. The minimum size limit will be increased when the department is notified by the Chippewa bands that their harvest goal on an individual water is 60% or more of the safe harvest. The minimum size limits to be used with different percentages of the safe harvest are as follows:
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See PDF for table NR 23.055(2)
(2) Readjustment. After the third Monday in May, the secretary may raise the daily bag limit or reduce the minimum size limit to the limit specified as appropriate using the percent of the safe harvest level expected to be harvested as indicated in
sub. (1). If a new population estimate is made, the safe harvest level shall be changed accordingly and the daily bag limit or minimum size limit shall be adjusted according to the percentage of the new safe harvest level that is expected to be harvested as indicated in
sub. (1). The readjusted daily bag and size limits shall be in effect until the first Sunday in March of the year following the tribal harvest.
NR 23.055(3)(a)(a) Reduced daily bag limits calculated pursuant to this section are individual lake limits and may be combined, but no person may exceed a total daily bag limit of 5 walleyes.
NR 23.055(3)(b)
(b) While fishing no person may possess fish on any water in excess of the bag limit or under the size limit for that water.
NR 23.055(4)
(4) Notice. Adjustments and readjustments of bag limits and minimum size limits under
subs. (1) and
(2) shall become effective upon publication of the adjustment or readjustment in the official newspaper in the area affected.
NR 23.055 History
History: Emerg. cr. eff. 5-5-89; cr.
Register, November, 1989, No. 407, eff. 12-1-89;
CR 09-051: am. (1) (intro.) and (2)
Register June 2010 No. 654, eff. 7-1-10.
NR 23.06(1)(1) Dip nets and landing nets may be used for taking suckers, redhorse, carp, smelt and lawyers or burbot from April 1 to May 14, in the Menominee river except in that portion from the upstream side of the Hattie Street Bridge in Marinette-Menominee upstream to the next dam and within 200 feet below dams on the river.
NR 23.06(2)
(2) Dip nets used for taking, catching, and killing rough fish and smelt may not exceed 9 feet square or 9 feet in diameter with a bag not more than 4 feet deep when lifted.
NR 23.06(3)
(3) No person may use or operate any dip net in any manner other than by raising and lowering it vertically when fishing.
NR 23.06 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; renum. from NR 23.07,
Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94;
CR 08-010: am. (1)
Register November 2008 No. 635, eff. 4-1-09.
NR 23.07
NR 23.07
Minnows. No person may sell, trade or barter minnows taken from Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters. No person may take fish other than smelt with nets or traps in the Montreal river downstream from the Superior Falls dam.
NR 23.07 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; emerg. am. eff. 4-25-89; am.
Register, December, 1989, No. 408, eff. 1-1-90; renum. from NR 23.08 and am.
Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94; am.,
Register, November, 1995, No. 479, eff. 4-1-96.
NR 23.08
NR 23.08
Motor trolling. Fishing from a motor-driven boat when the motor is running or from any boat in tow of a motor-driven boat when the motor is running is authorized on all Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters except Vilas county waters.
NR 23.08 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; renum. from NR 23.09,
Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94.
NR 23.09
NR 23.09
Ice fishing. Buildings, vehicles, tents, fish shanties or similar enclosures may be used on the ice for fishing in the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters.
NR 23.09(1)
(1) The door of any enclosure or shelter shall be unlocked and readily opened from the outside at all times while the enclosure or shelter is occupied.
NR 23.09(2)
(2) All shelters shall be removed from the ice on or before March 15, or prior to that time if ordered by the department when it determines the ice has become unsafe for travel.
NR 23.09(3)
(3) All buildings, tents, fish shanties and similar enclosures or shelters maintained, occupied, or used for fishing on the ice of any Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters shall have the name and address of the person owning or using it printed in the English language on the outside of it so the name is readily visible at all times.
NR 23.09 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; renum. from NR 23.10,
Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94.
NR 23.10
NR 23.10
Fishing near dams. No person may fish by any means other than with hook and line within 200 feet below any dam.
NR 23.10 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; renum. from NR 23.11,
Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94.
NR 23.11
NR 23.11
Conflicting rules. Where regulations of Michigan and Wisconsin differ, fishers shall comply with the regulations of the state in whose territorial waters they are fishing.
NR 23.11 History
History: Cr.
Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; renum. from NR 23.12,
Register, November, 1993, No. 455, eff. 1-1-94.
NR 23.12
NR 23.12
Special sturgeon hook and line fishing restrictions. No person who catches a lake sturgeon may do any of the following:
NR 23.12(1)
(1) Possess a lake sturgeon taken by hook and line and not immediately release it, unless a hook and line lake sturgeon tag belonging to the person who caught the lake sturgeon is immediately validated as required by the department and attached to the lake sturgeon by immediately affixing the tag to the sturgeon in front of the fish's tail, and the tagged lake sturgeon is registered at a department lake sturgeon registration station by 6:00 p.m. on the day after it was taken.
NR 23.12 Note
Note: Hook and line lake sturgeon tags will be available at department service centers and regional offices each year prior to the open season. Department service centers may be located by viewing
http://www.dnr.wisconsin.gov.
NR 23.12(2)
(2) Remove the registration tag attached to the fish by the department until the carcass is prepared for final consumption. The hook and line lake sturgeon registration tag shall be retained by the person taking the lake sturgeon until the fish is consumed.
NR 23.12(3)
(3) Transport any lake sturgeon in or on any motor-driven vehicle from the time the lake sturgeon is taken to the time it is lawfully registered pursuant to
sub. (1) unless the lake sturgeon is carried openly exposed and in a manner so that the lake sturgeon tag attached to the lake sturgeon cannot be handled or manipulated by any occupant of the vehicle.
NR 23.12(4)
(4) Transport any lake sturgeon in or on any boat from the time the lake sturgeon is taken to the time it is lawfully registered pursuant to
sub. (1) unless the lake sturgeon is tagged and carried openly exposed.
NR 23.12 History
History: CR 09-051: cr.
Register June 2010 No. 654, eff. 7-1-10.
