Newsroom_News Release_2024-06-14 Northern Zone Smallmouth Bass Harvest Season Opens Saturday, June 15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2024-06-14

Contact: Craig Roberts, DNR Fisheries Biologist & Bass Team Co-Leader
Craig.Roberts@wisconsin.gov or 715-416-0351

Northern Zone Smallmouth Bass Harvest Season Opens Saturday, June 15

A smallmouth bass surfaces with a popper hooked in the corner of its mouth. Smallmouth bass harvest season opens in the northern zone on June 15. Photo credit: iStock/stammphoto

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds anglers that the smallmouth bass harvest season begins June 15, 2024, in the northern zone.

While the catch and release season for smallmouth bass is open year-round, this harvest season runs through March 2, 2025, giving anglers a chance to keep smallmouth bass in these additional waters:

  • The Northern Bass Management Zone
  • Wisconsin – Michigan Boundary Waters
  • Tributaries to Lake Michigan north of State Highway 29 in Door and Kewaunee counties
  • Lake Superior, including the Kakagon River and Slough

All anglers are required to have a 2024-2025 Wisconsin fishing license. Licenses are available for purchase online through Go Wild or in person at an authorized license sales vendor. More license information can be found on the DNR’s Fishing License webpage. 

Check the 2024-2025 Guide to Hook and Line Fishing Regulations for bag limits and size requirements.

Need an expert?