Fisheries Management Legal Notices

Fisheries Management creates and revises regulations to carry out its mission to enhance and restore outstanding fisheries in Wisconsin’s waters.  One of the methods for revising regulations allows the department to more efficiently apply an alternate regulation to public waters under specific circumstances outlined in s. NR 20.35, Wis. Admin. Code.

Through the same process, the department can also remove a special regulation from the waters under consideration and revert to the statewide regulation established in NR 20.20 (73).

This page contains a table of legal notices for upcoming proposed regulation changes being pursued under s. NR 20.35.

Proposed regulations

Regulations under consideration for the NR 20.35 rule process must be publicly noticed and public comments may be accepted before the regulation is implemented.  An informational public meeting may be requested in writing within 10 days of the date of the original public notice. 

Opportunity to comment

To request a meeting or provide comments, contact the biologist for the waterbody of interest. When commenting, please provide your email address or phone number so the department can contact you if additional information is needed.

DNR is granted authority in Wisconsin Statutes to create and amend administrative rules. The following statutes, among others, authorize the department to manage fishing regulations and other rules:

s. 29.014(1), Wis. Stats.
The department shall establish and maintain open and closed seasons for fish and game and any bag limits, size limits, rest days and conditions governing the taking of fish and game that will conserve the fish and game supply and ensure the citizens of this state continued opportunities for good fishing, hunting and trapping.

s. 29.041, Wis. Stats.
The department may regulate hunting and fishing on and in all interstate boundary waters, and outlying waters.