Wisconsin Ice Fishing and General Rules
Wisconsin ice fishing and general rules: three lines, attended lines, 12 inch holes, shelter marking and removal dates, bait rules and illegal methods.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Okauchee Lake: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
Wisconsin ice fishing rules
- It is illegal to fish with more than three hooks, baits or lures (statewide restriction).lines
- It is illegal to leave any fish line unattended, except when using licensed setlines or bank poles. Failure to immediately respond to any line (located in open water or on the ice) upon indication of a bite will be sufficient evidence that the line is unattended.attendance
- Fishing holes cut through the ice cannot measure more than 12" across.holes
- The shelter owner's name and address (in English) or DNR Customer ID number must be legibly painted or otherwise affixed on the outside of the fishing shelter with block lettering a minimum of one inch square and in contrasting colors. Fishing shelters that are occupied or otherwise in use are exempt from this requirement.identification
- The doors of enclosed fishing shelters must be readily opened from the outside while occupied; they may be locked only while not occupied and not in use.doors
- After the date for removing shelters from the ice, you may continue to use a portable shelter, but you must remove it daily when it is not occupied or in use. Shelters must be removed daily on the Fox River in Brown County from the DePere Dam downstream.after removal date
2026-2027 Guide to Wisconsin Hook and Line Fishing Regulations (WDNR), pages 20 and 21. Checked October 2026.
When Wisconsin shelters come off the ice
| Waters | Rule | Winter 2026-27 |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan, Green Bay, Lake Superior, and inland waters north of Highway 64 | after the First Sunday following March 12 | March 14, 2027 |
| Inland waters south of Highway 64 | after the First Sunday following March 1 | March 7, 2027 |
| Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters | by March 15 | March 15, 2027 |
| Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters | by March 1 | March 1, 2027 |
| Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters | by Feb. 20 | February 20, 2027 |
The guide prints rules, not calendar dates; winter_2026_27 dates are the calendar dates those printed rules fall on (March 12, 2027 is a Friday; March 1, 2027 is a Monday).
Wisconsin bait rules and illegal methods
- to release unused bait into Wisconsin’s lakes, ponds, rivers and streams.bait
- to possess live crayfish while fishing or while possessing angling equipment on any water. Note: For Mississippi River and outlying waters exceptions, see pages 77, 83, 88 and 91.bait
- to use goldfish, gobies or alewife in any form for bait in state waters, except that alewife may be used on Lake Michigan, Green Bay and their tributary streams up to the first dam or lake.bait
- to remove insect larvae from a trout stream, except that a licensed angler may take insect larvae or nymphs from trout streams by hand (no seines or nets) during the open trout season for their immediate personal use as bait in the stream from which they were taken. All unused larvae and nymphs mustbait
- to take fish by any means other than hook and line unless otherwise allowed.methods
- to possess or use spears, snag hooks, gill nets, trammel nets, hoop nets or fish traps (except where authorized) or to use or possess on the water unlicensed setlines, bank poles and trotlines. See the Guide to Wisconsin Spearing, Netting, and Bait Harvest Regulations, 2026–2027 for more informationmethods
- to take fish other than rough fish, catfish and bullheads by hand.methods
Fish must be measured in a straight line from the tip of the snout with the mouth closed to the end of the compressed tail.
Wisconsin waters, photographed
Photo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
Questions on Wisconsin’s Ice Fishing and General rules
How many lines can I use ice fishing in Wisconsin?
Three hooks, baits or lures in total per angler, the same statewide limit as open water.
How big can an ice hole be?
No more than 12 inches across.
When must shelters leave inland ice north of Highway 64?
March 14, 2027 in winter 2026-27, the first Sunday after March 12.
When must shelters leave inland ice south of Highway 64?
March 7, 2027 in winter 2026-27, the first Sunday after March 1.
What marking does a Wisconsin ice shelter need?
With the owner name and address or DNR customer ID in block letters at least one inch square, in contrasting colors.
Can I lock my ice shelter?
Only while it is not occupied; doors must open from outside while someone is inside.
Can I use live crayfish as bait?
No; live crayfish may not be possessed while fishing, with listed Mississippi River and outlying water exceptions.
How do I measure a fish in Wisconsin?
Fish must be measured in a straight line from the tip of the snout with the mouth closed to the end of the compressed tail.
More Wisconsin regulation pages
- Wisconsin Inland Waters Limitsstatewide rows, bass and pike zones, total daily bags
- Wisconsin Walleye and Ceded Territory Rulesthe three-walleye rule up north
- Wisconsin Trout Rulesstamps, color categories and early season
- Wisconsin Great Lakes RulesLake Michigan, Green Bay and Lake Superior
- Wisconsin Boundary Waters RulesMichigan, Minnesota and Iowa border water
- Wisconsin Sturgeon Ruleshook and line tags and Winnebago spearing
- Wisconsin Special Regulations Waterscounty by county exceptions
- License prices and stampswho needs a license and what it costs