Fishing Season Definitions

These definitions are provided for use with the season dates tables.

Bass Zone, Northern || Bass Zone, Southern || Green Bay || Green Bay - Lake Michigan line || Lake Michigan || Lake Michigan Tributaries || Lake Winnebago System || Lower Wisconsin || Major Green Bay Tributaries || Mid Lake Reef Conplex || Panfish || Mississippi River || Rough Fish || Trout Streams ||Wisconsin-Iowa Boundary Waters || Wisconsin-Michigan Boundary Waters || Wisconsin-Minnesota Boundary Waters

Bass Zone, Northern - All waters north of a line following State Highway 77, from its bridge over the St. Croix river east to State Highway 27, south on State Highway 27 to State Highway 64, east on State Highway 64 to its terminus in the city of Marinette and continuing due east to the shore of Green Bay and all waters north of State Highway 29 from its bridge over the Fox river east to its terminus is the city of Kewaunee and continuing due east to the shore of Lake Michigan.

Bass Zone, Southern - All waters south of a line following State Highway 77, from its bridge over the St. Croix river east to State Highway 27, south on State Highway 27 to State Highway 64, east on State Highway 64 to its terminus in the city of Marinette and continuing due east to the shore of Green Bay and all waters north of State Highway 29 from its bridge over the Fox river east to its terminus is the city of Kewaunee and continuing due east to the shore of Lake Michigan.

Green Bay - means those waters of Lake Michigan located to the west of the Green Bay-Lake Michigan line. For the purposes of Wisconsin Administrative Code NR 20.20, Green Bay shall mean Green Bay, Sturgeon Bay, Sawyer's Harbor, the Sturgeon Bay ship canal from Sturgeon Bay to a line located in the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4, section 22, T27N, R26E, Door county, commencing at a point on the southwest shore of the Sturgeon Bay ship canal directly beneath the center of the Wisconsin public service company power line and extending in a northeasterly direction beneath and parallel to the center of the power line to a point on the northeast shore of the ship canal and the Fox river from its mouth up to the dam at DePere. For purposes of this chapter, "Green Bay "does not include that portion of Green Bay bounded by the mouth of the Menominee river on the west, the "government pier "or breakwall on the south, the "lighthouse pier "or breakwall on the north, and a line connecting the eastern-most points of those breakwalls on the east.

Green Bay-Lake Michigan line - means a line commencing at the northwest side of the Northport dock where it joins the shoreline in section 33, T33N, R29E; then running northeasterly to the range light (signal light) on Plum island; then running along the north and west shore of Plum island to the U.S. coast guard station; then running northerly to the southwesterly point on Shellswick dock, which is located on Lobdell's point on Washington island; then running along Shellswick dock to the shoreline of Lobdell's point; then running along the west shore of Washington island to Boyer's Bluff light; then running north to its terminus at the Wisconsin-Michigan boundary line. 

Lake Michigan - means those waters of Lake Michigan located east of the and those waters of the Sturgeon Bay ship canal east of a line located directly beneath the center of the Wisconsin public service company power lines.

Lake Michigan tributaries - means the Pike river and its tributaries, Kenosha and Racine counties; Kewaunee river and its tributaries excluding Little Scarboro, Scarboro, Roger and Casco creeks, Kewaunee county; Milwaukee river upstream to the Grafton dam in the village of Grafton and tributaries to the Milwaukee river upstream to the first dam or lake; Menomonee river upstream to the Lepper dam in the village of Menomonee Falls and tributaries to the Menomonee river upstream to the first dam or lake; and all other tributaries to Lake Michigan upstream to the first dam or lake.

Lake Winnebago system - means Lakes Buttes des Morts, Winneconne, Poygan, Winnebago and all their tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam including the Fox river from Lake Winnebago upstream to the dam above Princeton and all its tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam and the Wolf river from its mouth upstream to the dam in the city of Shawano and all its tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam including Cincoe lake, Partridge Crop lake and Partridge lake in Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties.

Lower Wisconsin - means the Wisconsin river including all sloughs, bayous, flowages and tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first highway bridge in Columbia, Sauk, Dane, Iowa, Richland, Grant and Crawford counties upstream from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad tracks in Grant and Crawford counties.

Major Green Bay tributaries - means Duck creek upstream to the first dam above the Pamperin park foot bridge in the village of Howard excluding its tributaries, Suamico river upstream to CTH HS, East river upstream to Hoffman road (CTH XX) excluding its tributaries, Brown county; Peshtigo river upstream to the Peshtigo dam, Little river upstream to Radar road, Marinette county; Little Suamico river upstream to CTH J excluding tributaries, Pensaukee river upstream to CTH J excluding tributaries, Oconto river upstream to Stiles dam excluding tributaries except Little river, Little river upstream to state highway 141 excluding tributaries, Oconto county.

Mid lake reef complex - means those waters of Lake Michigan within the following area: All waters bounded by a line beginning at a point where 43 degrees 7 minutes north latitude and 87 degrees 40 minutes west longitude intersect, northerly to 43 degrees 20 minutes north latitude, easterly to 87 degrees 20 minutes west longitude, northerly to 43 degrees 30 minutes north latitude, easterly to the Wisconsin-Michigan state line, southerly to 43 degrees north latitude, westerly to 87 degrees 14 minutes west longitude, northerly to 43 degrees 3 minutes north latitude, westerly to 87 degrees 18 minutes west longitude, southerly to 43 degrees north latitude, westerly to 87 degrees 23 minutes west longitude, northwesterly to 43 degrees 7 minutes north latitude, and westerly to 87 degrees 40 minutes west latitude. This area encompasses the elevated areas of the lake bed commonly known as the Sheboygan reef, the Northeast reef, the Milwaukee reef, and the East reef. 

Mississippi river - means all waters from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad main tracks on the east side of the Mississippi river extending west from the railroad tracks to that part of the river following the boundary between the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Mississippi river includes Lake Onalaska and Lake Pepin.

Panfish - means the following fish species: yellow perch, bluegill, black crappie, white crappie, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, warmouth and orangespotted sunfish.

Rough fish - includes suckers, not listed as endangered threatened under s. 29.604 (3), common carp, goldfish, freshwater drum, burbot, bowfin, garfish, sea lamprey, alewife, gizzard shad, rainbow smelt and

Trout Streams - in Wisconsin are defined in the publication, Wisconsin Trout Streams, PUB-FH-806-202 , sometimes known as the "Blue Book".

Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters - means all waters from the Burlington Northern and Sante Fe railroad tracks on the east side of the Mississippi river extending west from the railroad tracks to that part of the river following the boundaries between the states of Wisconsin and Iowa.

Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters - means the following waters that form the interstate boundary water between the states of Wisconsin and Michigan: