Section 2. NR 25.06 (1) (a) is repealed and recreated to read:
NR 25.06 (1) (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 WI−1 and WI−2 shall be determined by the department and approved by the natural resources board. The department shall subdivide the total allowable catch for WI-1 and WI-2 among state anglers, state commercial fishers, tribal commercial fishers, tribal home use, and department assessment.
Note: Pursuant to a December 2018 agreement between the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the department's harvest quota recommendation is based on the advice of a biological committee with members from both bands and the department.
1. ‘WI-1.’ The total allowable commercial and tribal home use harvest in WI−1 may not exceed 6,000 lake trout and shall be allocated as follows:
a. That number of lake trout to be harvested by non−tribal licensed commercial fishers from the waters of WI−1 may not exceed 4,000 lake trout.
b. 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 WI−1 may not exceed 2,000 lake trout.
2. ‘WI-2.’ The department shall utilize the WI-2 lake trout population model for calculating the department recommendation for the total allowable commercial and home use harvest of lake trout. The recommendation for the total allowable commercial harvest for WI-2 shall be calculated at least every three years using the output from the population model. The population model shall use the following quantitative data for lake trout: commercial and recreational harvest; commercial and recreational fishing effort; adult lake trout index in spring fishery-independent survey; juvenile lake trout index in summer fishery-independent survey; age compositions of lake trout in commercial, recreational, and fishery-independent surveys; length at age; weight at age; maturity schedule; and sea lamprey mortality estimates. An appropriate exploitation rate based on recent harvest trends shall be applied to the model estimates, and the department may also account for mortality and presence of hatchery-origin fish in the system to reach the total allowable catch recommendation.
a. For any given lake trout season after November 27, 2026, the total allowable commercial and tribal home use harvest in the waters of WI-2 will be determined under subd. 2. (intro.).
b. For 2024 through the open season ending September 30, 2026, the number of lake trout harvested by non-tribal licensed commercial fishers from waters of WI-2 may not exceed 7,500 lake trout and the 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 WI−2 may not exceed 44,500 lake trout.
Note: 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 25.06 (1) (c) 1. to 3. is amended to read:
1. The total allowable state harvest of cisco in the waters of Lake Superior may not exceed 897,000 round weight pounds in a calendar year. A portion of the state allowable harvest shall be reserved for recreational harvest and assessment purposes.
2. From October 1 through December 31 of each year, theThe total harvest of cisco by state licensed commercial fishers using gill nets with a mesh size of not less than 2 3/8 inch and not more than 3-inch stretch measure may not exceed 850,000890,000 round weight pounds.
3. Excluding harvest under subd. 2, from January 1 through December 31 of each year, theThe total harvest of cisco by state recreational fishers and from the department assessment activities shall not exceed 47,000 7,000 round weight pounds. The department shall subdivide the allocation of 47,000 round weight pounds among commercial incidental catch, angling, and department assessment activities.
Section 4. NR 25.09 (1) (am) 5. is repealed.
Section 5. NR 25.09 (1) (as) is repealed and recreated to read:
NR 25.09 (1) (as)
1. A license holder shall legibly mark each gill net with the license number or fleet reporting number of the license holder on each float or on each lead, and shall mark the bowls of the buoys on each end of the gang with the license number of the license holder in accordance with s. 29.516 (2) (d) 1., Stats. 2. Except as provided in subd. 4., a license holder shall tag each gill net with a mesh size of less than 4 7/16 inches with an informational tag supplied by the department on the buoy staff above the water line. Each tag shall list the license number or the fleet reporting number of the license holder and “Less than 4 7/16 inches.”
3. Except as provided in subd. 4., a license holder shall tag each gill net with a mesh size of 4 7/16 inches or greater with an informational tag supplied by the department on the buoy staff above the water line. Each tag shall list the time and date upon which the gill net was set, the length of the gang of nets, and the license number or fleet reporting number of the license holder.
4. A license holder may supply his or her own informational tag to meet the requirements in subds. 2. and 3.
Section 6. NR 25.09 (1) (b) 1. is amended to read:
NR 25.09 (1) (b) 1. The licensee may use entrapping nets only when the pot or crib is set, placed, or operated in water not more than 90 feet (15 fathoms) deep, and only when the mesh size of the trap net pot or crib, excluding shoaling twine, is 4 ¼ inch stretch measure or greater.
Section 7. Effective Date. This rule takes effect on the first day of the month following publication in the Wisconsin Administrative Register as provided in s. 227.22 (2) (intro.), Stats. Section 8. Board adoption. This rule was approved and adopted by the State of Wisconsin Natural Resources Board on December 11, 2024.
Dated at Madison, Wisconsin _____________________________.
STATE OF WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
BY ______________________________________
For Karen Hyun, Ph.D., Secretary
