11. Agency Contact Person:
Terry Margenau, Lake Superior Fisheries Supervisor
PO Box 589
Bayfield, WI 54814-0589
715-779-4035
12. Place where comments are to be submitted and deadline for submission:
Section 1 NR 20.20 (73)(n) is amended to read:
NR 20.20 (73) SPECIES OR WATERS NOT LISTED IN SUBS. (1) TO (72)
(n) Trout and salmon | 1. Mid lake reef complex | a. Hook and line | Continuous except there is no open sea- son for lake trout | 5 in total, of which 0 may be lake trout. No person may possess lake trout within this area | 10 |
| 2. Green Bay, major Green Bay tributaries, all other waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Michigan tributaries | a. Hook and line | Continuous except the open season for lake trout is March 1 to October 31 | 5 in total but only 2 may be lake trout | 10 |
| 3. All other tributary streams, rivers and ditches to Green Bay upstream to the first dam or lake | a. Hook and line | First Saturday in May to the first Sunday in March | 5 in total but only 2 may be lake trout | 10 |
| 4. Lake Superior, excluding lake trout | a. Hook and line | Continuous except the open season for lake trout is December 1 to September 30 | 10 in total but only 5 may be salmon and only 5 may be trout, of which only 1 may be a rainbow trout, only 1 may be a brook trout and only 3 may be lake trout with only 1 lake trout longer than 25 inches; when recreational lake trout harvest during a season measured by department creel surveys exceeds 24,748 lake trout the lake trout bag limit is reduced to 1 and when recreational lake trout harvest during that same time exceeds 25,529 lake trout the lake trout bag limit is reduced to 0 | Rainbow trout 26, brook trout 20, other trout 15, splake 15, brown trout 15, salmon none |
| 5. Lake Superior, lake trout only | a. Hook and line | December 1 to September 30 | 3 in total. When recreational lake trout harvest during a season in waters east of a line running north-south from Bark Point (46° 53.21’, -91° 11.16’) measured by department creel surveys exceeds 7,350 lake trout the lake trout bag limit only in those waters east of Bark Point is reduced to 0 (catch and release only). Bag limit modifications by the department shall become effective upon issuance of an order of the secretary and publication in the official state newspaper. | In waters east of a line running north-south from Bark Point (46° 53.21’, -91° 11.16’) only 2 fish between 20 and 25 and 1 fish longer than 40; For lake trout in waters west of a line running north-south from Bark Point the minimum is 15 and only 1 fish longer than 25 |
Section 2 NR 25.06 (1) (a) 1., 2., and 3. are amended to read:
NR 25.06 Quotas and catch fees. (1) Lake Superior. (a) Lake trout. The total allowable annual harvest of lake trout by state and tribal commercial fishers and tribal home use fishers under par. (b) during the open season in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior east of Bark Point (WI-2) and west of Bark point (WI-1) shall be determined by the natural resources board based upon recommendations from the state/tribal biological committee which consists of state, tribal and national biological service representatives.
1. The total allowable commercial and tribal home use harvest in the waters of Lake Superior east of Bark Point may not exceed 50,100 44,200 lake trout. The total allowable commercial and tribal home use harvest in waters of Lake Superior west of Bark Point may not exceed 2,850 5,130 lake trout.
2. That number of lake trout to be harvested by non-Indian licensed commercial fishers from the waters of Lake Superior east of Bark Point may not exceed 5,300 4,900 lake trout, and from the waters of Lake Superior west of Bark Point may not exceed 2,150 4,430 lake trout.
3. That number of lake trout to be harvested by the Red Cliff and Bad River bands, including both commercial and tribal home use fishers, from the waters of Lake Superior east of Bark Point may not exceed 44,800 39,300 lake trout. That number of lake trout to be harvested by the Red Cliff and Bad River bands, including both commercial and tribal home use fishers, from the waters of Lake Superior west of Bark Point may not exceed 700 lake trout. If the Red Cliff and Bad River bands do not reach an agreement on the method of allocating the tribal quota between them, the department may divide the quota 50% for the Bad River band and 50% for the Red Cliff band, or by any other equitable method.
Section 3 NR 25.10 (1) (b) 8. is repealed.
Section 4 NR 26.02 (1) is amended to read:
NR 26.02 (1) All waters bounded by a line from the Gull island light south to the northernmost point of Michigan island and then proceeding in a southerly direction following the shoreline of Michigan island to the Michigan island light, then southerly towards the center of the mouth of the Bad river in Ashland county to latitude 46° 40', then due east to the Michigan state line; then northerly along the state line to latitude 46° 59.3'; from that point due west to longitude 90° 26.5' and then due south to the Gull island light; except that licensed commercial fishers may fish all that area within these external boundaries wherein the lake bottom lies at a depth of 35 fathoms (210 feet) or more; and, except in those included waters less than 7 fathoms in depth which immediately adjoin Michigan island, gill nets with a mesh size of 2 ¾ '' or less stretch measure may be used from November 5 to December 5 for the taking of menominee whitefish. Float nets with a maximum stretch measure of 3 inches may be fished in this area for lake herring from November 1 to December 15 out to a bottom depth of 25 fathoms. The nets shall be a minimum of 2 fathoms from the bottom.
Section 5. Statement of Emergency. The welfare of state-licensed commercial fishers, Chippewa tribal commercial fishers, recreational fishers, and associated businesses is threatened by a decline in the lake trout population in the Apostle Islands vicinity of Lake Superior. The emergency rule is necessary to implement harvest limits and other reasonably related changes for the 2015-16 lake trout harvest seasons.
Section 6. Effective Date. This rule shall take effect upon publication in the official state newspaper, as provided in s. 227.24 (1) (d), Stats. Section 7. Board adoption. This rule was approved and adopted by the State of Wisconsin Natural Resources Board on December 9, 2015.
