Anglers On Lake Superior Can Harvest Lake Trout Starting Dec. 1

Anglers On Lake Superior Can Harvest
Lake Trout Starting Dec. 1

The Lake Superior lake trout season opens Dec. 1 with a quota of 15,000 fish. / 

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds anglers that Lake Superior’s lake trout season will open on Dec. 1 and run until Sept. 30, 2025, or until the harvest cap is met.  

Lake Superior’s Wisconsin waters are divided into two management units: WI-1, which encompasses all waters from Superior to Bark Point (considered the Western Arm), and WI-2, which includes waters from Bark Point to the Michigan border (considered the Apostle Islands region).  

Each of these management units has its own lake trout harvest quota based on current lake trout populations, with different allocations for different user groups. Since the Apostle Islands region experiences more fishing pressure, the lake trout season will close early if the quotas are reached. This year’s recreational quota is 15,000 lake trout. 

A bag limit of three lake trout may be harvested from the Western Arm waters, and only two may be harvested from the Apostle Islands region. In both management units, lake trout must be a minimum of 15 inches long, and only one fish over 25 inches may be kept.  

Thanks to sound management practices, the lake trout populations in Lake Superior have been rehabilitated and provide anglers with great fishing opportunities. 

Anglers must purchase a 2024-2025 general fishing license and a Great Lakes trout and salmon stamp to harvest a lake trout. Both can be purchased online through Go Wild or in person at any license sales location.  

Learn more about fishing for lake trout on Lake Superior.