DNR Announces New Lake Trout Regulations For Lake Michigan And Green Bay

MADISON, Wis. – As a result of an emergency rule, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has restored the previous recreational regulations for harvesting lake trout for Lake Michigan and Green Bay as of July 23, 2021.

The previous regulations ended earlier this year and returned to a daily bag limit of two lake trout and a season running from March to October. With this emergency rule, the season will be open year-round for waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Michigan tributaries, Green Bay and major Green Bay tributaries, and have a daily bag limit of five trout or salmon, but all five may be lake trout.

This bag limit will also apply to all tributary streams, rivers and ditches to Green Bay upstream to the first dam or lake. However, the regular fishing season dates, from the first Saturday in May to the first Sunday in March, will remain in place. The Mid-Lake Reef Complex will remain closed to lake trout fishing.

This change will provide additional fishing opportunities for anglers and charter businesses while maintaining a balance between lake trout, Chinook salmon and their shared alewife prey base.

The DNR is working on a permanent rule to continue these changes into the future.

Learn more about Lake Michigan fisheries management here.