Section NR 21.06 - Sport fishing restrictions(1) Except as otherwise expressly provided, only the following methods or manners of fishing shall be lawful. Any person: (29.041) (a) May fish for fish with no more than 3 hooks, baits or lures.(b) May use landing nets and a gaff only for the purpose of landing a fish that is legally hooked. However, landing nets may be used to remove winterkilled fish in those areas and at those times designated by the department by posting, and to net fish as authorized with the use of dip nets under this chapter or ch. NR 20.(c) May take, catch, kill or fish for fish by means of trolling from a motor-driven boat, sailboat or other boats.(d) Except in Lake Superior, its bays and tributaries, may take rough fish by means of spear, bow and arrow, or crossbow, by hand, or by dip nets and landing nets not to exceed 24 inches in diameter or square only from sunrise to sunset from the Saturday nearest April 21 to March 1, except that the use of dip nets and landing nets not to exceed 24 inches in diameter or square for the taking of rough fish in the St. Croix river downstream to the St. Croix Falls dam is permitted from the Saturday nearest May 15 to June 30 each year, and bow and arrow or crossbow may be possessed and used for spearing rough fish from sunset to sunrise during the open season for spearing rough fish.(e) May only fish with a line or lines while they are attended.(f) May take, catch, kill or fish for flathead or channel catfish or bullheads with a bow and arrow or crossbow during the open season for spearing rough fish, or by hand, in boundary waters within Wisconsin.(2) Any fish taken and retained in possession that is not released freely into the water immediately after capture shall be considered part of the angler's daily bag limit.(3) Possession of illegal equipment. No spear, spring gaff or bow and arrow shall be possessed in a fish house (shanty). No person shall have in possession on the water or immediate banks of the water any spear, bow and arrow or similar device except during the open season.(4) No person may fish by snagging, foul hooking or attempting to hook fish other than in the mouth. Possessing, retaining or failing to immediately release fish hooked other than in the mouth is prohibited.Wis. Admin. Code Department of Natural Resources NR 21.06
Cr. Register, February, 1979, No. 278, eff. 3-1-79; am. (1) (a), Register, December, 1985, No. 360, eff. 1-1-86; am. (1) (d), Register, November, 1994, No. 467, eff. 1-1-95; am. (2), Register, May, 1996, No. 485, eff. 6-1-96; CR 01-012: cr. (4), Register November 2001 No. 551, eff. 4-1-02; CR 08-010: am. (1) (b) and (d) Register November 2008 No. 635, eff. 4-1-09; CR 09-051: am. (1) (d) Register June 2010 No. 654, eff. 7-1-10; CR 13-001: am. (1) (d) Register August 2013 No. 692, eff. 9-1-13.Amended by, CR 19-009: am. (1) (d), cr. (1) (f) Register February 2020 No. 770, eff. 3-1-20; correction in (1) (d) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register February 2020 No. 770, eff. 3/1/2020