New Lake Trout Bag Regulations Set For Jan. 1

New Lake Trout Bag Regulations Set For Jan. 1

New Lake Michigan lake trout regulations take effect Jan. 1. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will reimplement a lake trout bag limit and season for Lake Michigan beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The new bag limit and season will mirror previous lake trout regulations. The open season will now run from Mar. 1 to Oct. 31 with a new daily bag limit of two lake trout.

In 2017, the DNR implemented temporary Lake Michigan lake trout regulations in response to stakeholder input requesting additional harvest opportunities. These temporary regulations included a year-round season with a daily bag limit of five lake trout.

These regulations were made permanent in 2018 by the Natural Resources Board and expire on Jan. 1, 2021. This sunset clause allowed the DNR to appropriately assess the regulations and ensure they did not negatively impact Lake Michigan lake trout restoration efforts.

Based on the positive Lake Michigan lake trout data and continued stakeholder support for revised lake trout regulations, the DNR will be pursuing permanent regulations for lake trout, including a continuous year-round open season and a daily bag limit of five lake trout.

The pursuit of revised Lake Michigan lake trout regulations will occur in early 2021, and if approved, would be implemented by the summer of 2021.

However, until permanent regulations are developed, an open season from Mar. 1 to Oct. 31 and a daily bag limit of two lake trout will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2021.

More information on the upcoming reg changes is available here. [insert link to press release]