Fishing in Wisconsin
Lakes, trout streams, Lake Michigan, Green Bay and Lake Superior across all 72 counties, with WDNR rules.
Search a town, county, lake or bait shop
- 3,411lakes
- 1,176streams
- 138shore sites
Pick for troutPiscifun Carbon X ultralight spinning reel28% OFFSale $57.99 Photo of Lake Pepin: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, CC BY 2.0
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Wisconsin lakes, trout streams and two Great Lakes
Wisconsin runs from the Lake Superior shore and the Apostle Islands through the northern lake country around Minocqua, Hayward and Eagle River, down to the Winnebago System, the Driftless trout streams of the southwest and the Mississippi River pools. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources manages it with a Highway 10 pike line, two bass zones and the Ceded Territory walleye rules up north.
This guide holds 3,411 lake pages (621 of them WDNR musky lakes), 1,176 river and trout stream pages, 3,078 boat landing pages, 138 shore fishing sites, 626 bait shops, all 72 counties and 804 towns, with the WDNR rule table on every water page.
For the trout herePiscifun Carbon XT ultralight spinning reel25% OFFSale $59.99 The largest Wisconsin inland lakes
Lake Winnebago
131,939 acres, Winnebago County and 2 other counties
Lake pageLake Pepin
24,550 acres, Pepin County and Pierce County
Lake pagePetenwell Lake
23,173 acres, Adams County and Juneau County
Lake pageLake Chippewa
14,593 acres, Sawyer County
Lake pageLake Poygan
14,024 acres, Winnebago County and Waushara County
Lake pageCastle Rock Lake
13,955 acres, Juneau County and Adams County
Lake pageTurtle Flambeau Flowage
12,942 acres, Iron County
Lake pageLake Koshkonong
10,595 acres, Jefferson County and 2 other counties
Lake pageWisconsin on Lake Michigan, Green Bay and Lake Superior
- Lake MichiganKenosha to Door County harbors, salmon and trout
- Green Bayyellow perch, walleye and the lower Fox River
- Lake SuperiorApostle Islands, Chequamegon Bay and the Brule
Wisconsin pages by kind of water
- Lakes3,411 lakes
- Rivers and trout streams1,176 rivers and streams
- Trout streamsevery classified stream
- Fishing piersWDNR shore sites
- Countiesall 72
- Towns804 towns
- Species57 species
- TournamentsWDNR permitted events
Wisconsin season dates for 2026-27
| Season | Dates |
|---|---|
| General inland (walleye, pike, bass) | May 2, 2026 to March 7, 2027 |
| Muskellunge, inland | May 2, 2026 to December 31, 2026 |
| Inland trout streams | April 4, 2026 to October 15, 2026 |
| Smallmouth harvest, Northern Bass Zone | June 20, 2026 to March 7, 2027 |
Wisconsin licenses, rules and live data
- Wisconsin A to Zevery lake, river, county and town page
- Wisconsin record fishhook and line, live release and alternate method
- Wisconsin water levelsUSGS, Corps of Engineers and NOAA gauges
- Wisconsin trout streamsClass I, II and III water by county
- Wisconsin guides and chartersinland guides and Great Lakes captains
- Wisconsin stockingWDNR stocking summary, 2023 to 2025
- Lake Michiganharbors, piers and salmon water
- Green Baybay of Green Bay and the lower Fox
- Lake SuperiorApostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay
- Wisconsin fishing piersWDNR shore fishing sites
- Wisconsin boat landingsWDNR boat access sites by county
- Wisconsin bait shopsshops by WDNR region
- Wisconsin license and regulationsfees, stamps, seasons and limits
- Free fishing weekendsJanuary and June license-free dates
- Wisconsin tournamentsWDNR permitted events and results
Wisconsin fishing questions, answered
Which license do I need to fish in Wisconsin?
Anglers 16 and older need a Wisconsin fishing license: $20 a year for residents and $55 for nonresidents, with a $5 first-time buyer rate for residents. Trout water adds the $10 inland trout stamp and the Great Lakes the $10 Great Lakes stamp.
What is the largest inland lake in Wisconsin?
Lake Winnebago, at 131,939 acres on the WDNR Find a Lake page.
When does Wisconsin fishing season open in 2026?
The general inland season opened May 2, 2026, the first Saturday in May, and runs to March 7, 2027.
Where are the Wisconsin trout streams?
Mostly in the Driftless southwest and the north; 1,016 classified streams have pages here.
What is the Ceded Territory?
The northern third of Wisconsin, where most waters allow three walleye a day with a 15 to 20 inch harvest window.
Which agency manages Wisconsin fisheries?
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), Bureau of Fisheries Management.
Where are the Wisconsin tournaments listed?
On the tournaments page, built from the WDNR Calendar of Permitted Tournaments and organizer results.
Are there free fishing days in Wisconsin?
Two free fishing weekends a year, one in January and one in June, for residents and nonresidents.