Wisconsin Sturgeon Rules
Wisconsin lake sturgeon rules: the September hook and line harvest season and tags, catch and release waters, shovelnose sturgeon and Winnebago System spearing.
For weighing a catchPiscifun Lip gripper with digital scale27% OFFSale $39.99 Photo of Oconomowoc Lake: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
Wisconsin sturgeon hook and line rows
| Species | Where | Limit | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake sturgeon (harvest) | Chippewa River (West Fork downstream from Moose Lake Dam and East Fork downstream to the Mississippi River), Flambeau River (North Fork from Turtle-Flambeau Dam and South Fork downstream to the Chippewa River), Butternut Lake (Price Co.), Jump River, Yellow, L | 1 per season; minimum length 60 inches | Sept. 5, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2026 (all lake sturgeon taken with hook and line must be tagged and registered) |
| Lake sturgeon (catch and release) | Designated catch and release waters: Namekagon River from the Hayward Dam to the St. Croix River; St. Croix River incl. Upper St. Croix Lake upstream from the St. Croix Dam at Gordon Flowage; Bear River from the Lac du Flambeau Dam; Manitowish River from the R | 0 (catch and release only) | June 6, 2026 – March 7, 2027 |
| Lake sturgeon | Other inland waters | 0 | Closed all year – no fishing for lake sturgeon |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | Lower Wisconsin River from the Prairie du Sac Dam downstream | 3; no minimum length | July 4, 2026 – March 7, 2027 |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | All other inland waters | 0 | Closed all year – no fishing for shovelnose sturgeon |
| Lake sturgeon (catch and release) | Upstream from the Grand Rapids Dam on the Menominee River | 0 (catch and release only) | June 6, 2026 – March 1, 2027 |
| Lake sturgeon (harvest) | Upstream from the Grand Rapids Dam on the Menominee River | 1 per season; minimum length 60 inches | Sept. 5, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2026 (must be tagged and registered) |
| Lake sturgeon (catch and release) | Downstream from the Grand Rapids Dam on the Menominee River | 0 (catch and release only) | Sept. 5, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Lake sturgeon (catch and release) | Mississippi R. upstream of the Red Wing Dam; St. Croix R. upstream of the St. Croix Falls Dam to the dam at Gordon Flowage | 0 (catch and release only) | June 16, 2026 – March 1, 2027 |
| Lake sturgeon (catch and release) | St. Louis River and Mississippi River downstream of the Red Wing Dam | 0 (catch and release only) | June 16, 2026 – April 14, 2027 |
| Lake sturgeon (catch and release) | St. Croix River downstream from the St. Croix Falls Dam to Prescott | 0 (catch and release only) | June 16, 2026 – Sept. 4, 2026 |
| Lake sturgeon (harvest) | St. Croix River downstream from the St. Croix Falls Dam to Prescott | 1; minimum length 60 inches | Sept. 5, 2026 – Sept. 30, 2026 |
| Lake sturgeon (catch and release) | St. Croix River downstream from the St. Croix Falls Dam to Prescott | 0 (catch and release only) | Oct. 1, 2026 – March 1, 2027 |
| Shovelnose sturgeon (catch and release) | All Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters above the Red Wing Dam on the Mississippi River, St. Louis River and St. Croix River | 0 (catch and release only) | June 16, 2026 – March 1, 2027 |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | All Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters below the Red Wing Dam on the Mississippi River | 3; no minimum length | Open all year |
| Lake sturgeon | Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters (Mississippi River) | 0 | Closed all year – there is no fishing for lake sturgeon |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters (Mississippi River) | None; no minimum length | Open all year |
| Lake sturgeon | Tributary streams to Green Bay and Lake Michigan | 0 | No open season |
| Lake sturgeon | Lake Michigan | 0 | Closed all year |
| Lake sturgeon (harvest) | Lake Superior (must be tagged and registered) | 1 per year; minimum length 60 inches | Open all year |
| Lake sturgeon | Winnebago System waters (see the Winnebago System Sturgeon Spearing regulations for the spearing season) | 0 | Hook and line fishing closed all year |
Anglers who intend to harvest a lake sturgeon, regardless of age or need for a fishing license, must first purchase an inland tag (good for sturgeon harvest in inland waters, the St. Croix River and Lake Superior) and/or a WI/MI boundary water tag (good for sturgeon harvest on the Menominee River). You do not need a harvest tag to catch and release sturgeon on waters open to sturgeon fishing during the open hook and line season. A harvested fish must be registered at a designated registration station no later than 6 p.m. the day after you caught the fish.
Winnebago System sturgeon spearing
- Northern pike may be speared through the ice in Lake Superior (Spearing guide). Lake sturgeon: Winnebago System spearing from a fishing shelter on the ice.species
- Sturgeon spearing license: $20 resident, $65 nonresident (2026 Winnebago spearing regulations); Lake Winnebago license sales end Oct. 31; Upriver Lakes by drawing (applications due Aug. 1).license
- No person may take, capture, kill or attempt to kill sturgeon on the Winnebago System by any means other than spearing with a spear thrown by hand from inside a fishing shelter placed on the ice during the open spearing season.methods
- Lake Winnebago; Upriver Lakes (Lakes Butte des Morts, Winneconne and Poygan).where
- Feb. 14 through March 1, 2026 or until pre-set harvest caps are reached, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day.season 2026
Waters in the Winnebago System
Includes Poygan, Winneconne, Butte des Morts, and Winnebago and all their tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam including the Fox river from Lake Winnebago upstream to the dam above Princeton and all its tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam; the Wolf river from its mouth upstream to the dam in the city of Shawano and all its tributaries from their mouths upstream to the first dam including Cincoe lake, Partridge Crop lake and Partridge lake in Calumet, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Outagamie, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara and Winnebago counties. Please note: Little Lake Butte des Morts is not part of the Winnebago System.
- Motor trolling is allowed on all Winnebago System waters with three hooks, baits or lures per person and no maximum number per boat.Winnebago rule
- Minnows may not be harvested for personal use from Winnebago System waters. Suckers may be harvested, but can not be taken away alive.Winnebago rule
- Round gobies have been found in the Winnebago System (in limited locations); report a suspected goby to the DNR at (920) 424-3050.Winnebago rule
Wisconsin waters, photographed
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Photo: Awkwafaba, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Questions on Wisconsin’s Sturgeon rules
When is Wisconsin sturgeon hook and line season?
September 5, 2026 to September 30, 2026 on the listed waters, tagged and registered.
How big must a kept lake sturgeon be?
1 per season; minimum length 60 inches.
What does a sturgeon harvest tag cost?
$20 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.
Can I fish sturgeon catch and release?
Yes, on the designated catch and release waters, from June 6, 2026 to March 7, 2027.
Who may spear sturgeon on Lake Winnebago?
License holders 12 and older, spearing from a shelter on the ice during the season.
When was the 2026 Winnebago spearing season?
February 14, 2026 to the harvest cap or season end.
Can I keep shovelnose sturgeon?
Only on the lower Wisconsin River below the Prairie du Sac Dam, 3 a day from July 4, 2026.
Is Little Lake Butte des Morts in the Winnebago System?
No; the guide says it is not part of the system.
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 Ice Fishing and General Ruleshooks, lines, bait, shelters
- Wisconsin Special Regulations Waterscounty by county exceptions
- License prices and stampswho needs a license and what it costs