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Ceded territory

Fishing Wisconsin

Ceded Territory Map
Ceded Territory in northern Wisconsin.

The Ceded Territory, shown in green on the above map, encompasses 22,400 square miles of northern Wisconsin that were ceded to the United States by the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribes in 1837 and 1842. There are 2,300 lakes larger than 25 acres in the Ceded Territory, including 919 walleye lakes (380,000 surface acres) and 623 musky lakes (301,000 surface acres). Each year, a portion of these lakes are subject to special fisheries regulations as a result of Chippewa off-reservation treaty rights that are mandated by Federal Court rulings.

For more information on the Ceded Territory, please visit the following pages:

Ceded Territory Walleye Lakes of Concern Management Plan

Walleye Lakes of Concern Management Plan - April 2022 [PDF] - A joint approach by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Lac Du Flambeau (LDF) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) to address walleye declines in Clear and Katherine lakes in Oneida County and Anvil and Laura lakes in Vilas County

Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC)

The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) is an inter-tribal, co-management agency committed to the implementation of off-reservation treaty rights on behalf of its eleven Ojibwe member tribes. Formed in 1984 and exercising authority specifically delegated by its member tribes, GLIFWC´s mission is to help ensure significant, off-reservation harvests while protecting the resources for generations to come. Inland Fisheries staff at GLIFWC conduct numerous fisheries surveys in the ceded territories of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. GLIFWC´s fisheries assessment crews typically conduct 15 to 20 spawning adult walleye population estimates every spring, and around 100 to 150 walleye recruitment surveys every fall.

DNR Treaty staff

You may contact the following DNR staff members for more information about the Ceded Territory.