Fishing_Content Page_Great Lakes Charter Information

Great Lakes Charter Information

Great Lakes Charter Sport Trolling Information

As part of the effort to manage fisheries sustainably in the Great Lakes, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has broad authority under established rules (NR 20.60) to require charter sport trolling reporting in the Great Lakes.

No person may be engaged or be employed for any compensation to guide any other person in sport trolling for trout or salmon in and upon the Great Lakes unless the person is issued an outlying water sport trolling license by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) subject to s.29.514 Wis. Stats. 

  • An outlying water charter sport trolling license is required to guide salmon or trout by sport trolling on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and Green Bay, including their tributary streams/rivers up to the first fish impasse. Boats used by the licensee shall meet minimum U.S. Coast Guard and Wisconsin's boat licensing and safety requirements.
  • Sport trolling licenses may only be issued to any persons over 18 years of age.
  • "Fishing guide" does not include a person who rents boats, fishing shelters that are NOT pre-placed or pre-located, fishing gear or related equipment to an angler for the angler's independent use, provided that the person does not offer any additional services to guide, direct or assist the angler in attempting to catch fish.

Reports and information from charter captains are valuable and an important part of the effort to manage Great Lakes fisheries sustainably. Since the start of mandatory reporting in 1976, charter captains have been reporting on paper forms provided by the Department. As technology has advanced, the ability to find a cost- and time-effective electronic reporting method was developed through the Survey123 platform.

On Oct. 26, 2022, the Natural Resources Board adopted the permanent reporting rule for sport trolling licensees. This rule requires electronic trip reporting for those charter captains who are required to hold a sport trolling license under NR 20.60.

Starting May 1, 2023, monthly electronic reporting is required for all charter sport trolling license holders on the Great Lakes. 

Reporting

Charter sport trolling licensees are required to report monthly, whether fishing or not, beginning with the month that the sport trolling license is purchased through the end of the calendar year. Charter captains must report all sport trolling trips targeting salmon and trout, including unsuccessful trips where no fish were harvested in Survey123.

Charter sport trolling license holders are required to submit the following (NR 20.60):

  • Within 30 minutes of returning to shore at the end of a trip, licensees' are required to electronically report the captain's DNR Customer ID number, name, boat information, location of the trip, number of anglers, number of hours fished and total fish harvested.
  • Licensees are required to electronically report species-specific harvest numbers by 11:59 p.m. on the day of the trip, licensees' are required to electronically report species-specific harvest numbers.
  • On or before the 10th of the month, all of the above information is required to be transmitted to the Department. Additionally, if a licensee did not charter fish within a month, no fishing report is required to be submitted on or before the 10th of the following month. 

Detailed instructions for filling out the guide survey using Survey123 can be found in the Charter Sport Trolling Reporting Instruction Manual.

On occasions that a licensee is unable to access electronic reporting (NR 20.60):

  • You must record your trip information on the printable Sport Trolling License Monthly Report Form (Form 9400-249) within 30 minutes of the return to shore after completing the charter fishing trip.
  • Once the licensee regains access to electronic reporting, the licensee shall retroactively enter the reports into the electronic Survey123 system within 48 hours of completing the guided trip. Please note: the retroactively entered trip comments regarding the inability to access the electronic reporting system.
  • The Department will not accept paper reports.
  • The licensee should retain any paper reports containing trip information should be retained by the licensee for 5 years from the date the trip was recorded.

Electronic Reporting Setup

To set up electronic reporting, please follow the instructions below.

  1. For new Charter Captains, an account will be created for you once your charter sport trolling application is approved and processed.
    • In addition to an email notifying you of your application acceptance, an email will be sent to you from notifications@arcgis.com. This email will ask you to create a password and provide security questions for your ArcGIS credentials.
    • Please click on the link in the email to create your secure password and security question. Failure to create both a secure password AND answers to security questions will cause issues with changing your credentials in the future, so make sure to complete both parts.
    • Ensure your email address in Go Wild is accurate; otherwise, you will not get this critical email, or other important emails concerning your license.
  2. For existing license holders that already have an ESRI ArcGIS account,
    • If you forget your password, you can use the "Forgot my Password" link to reset your password.
    • Suppose you have not set up your security questions. In that case, you must contact the DNR using the contact information below to request that a password be reset by contacting the Department using the contact information below.
    • Once requested, an email from notifications@arcgis.com will be sent to you from notifications@arcgis.com. This email will ask you to create a password and provide security questions for your ArcGIS credentials.
    • Please click on the link in the email to create your secure password and set up security questions.
    • Ensure your email address in Go Wild is accurate; otherwise, you will not get this critical email, or other important emails concerning your license.
  3. Download and install the ESRI Survey123 Field App to your mobile device using the links below.
    Survey123
     
  4. Start the application and select "Sign in with ArcGIS Online" using the username provided and the password that you created in the steps above.
  5. Download the Sport Trolling Report for the Great Lakes form.
  6. Please complete and submit the form for each fishing trip within 30 minutes of its conclusion.
  7. If the electronic form is unavailable, download and print this form and record your daily information. Once the system is back online, or you have connectivity, enter the information from the form into the electronic application. No paper copies will be accepted for your fishing trips.

Licensing

The Department issues a charter sport trolling license that allows the licensee to be compensated to guide, direct or assist any other person fishing by sport trolling for salmon and trout by sport trolling on the Great Lakes and tributaries.

For returning charter captains who qualify, an outlying waters sport trolling (Great Lakes charter captain) license can be purchased through the Go Wild online licensing system.

All charter sport trolling licenses are valid for the calendar year from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. License renewal notices for existing license holders will be distributed by email to current license holders with a valid email address in their Go Wild DNR customer account in early December for the upcoming license year. 

You can update your Go Wild customer account by logging into your Go Wild and using the View / Edit Profile link in the upper left-hand corner under your DNR ID. Then use the "Edit" button on the right side to update your information.

New Charter Captains

New Charter Captains, who have not previously held an outlying waters sport trolling license, can apply using the Outlying Waters Sport Trolling License Application (Form 9400-245) located on the Sport Trolling tab on the Professional and Occupation Licenses webpage for the Wisconsin DNR. This form needs to be completed, signed and mailed to the Department at the address below.

Learn more about becoming a charter sport trolling captain.

More information on licensing fees can be found in s.29.563(5) Wis. Stats.

Contact Information

Miranda Westphal
Call/text: 920-493-7593
Email: Miranda.Westphal@wisconsin.gov

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Sport Trolling Licensing
101 S. Neenah Ave.
Sturgeon Bay, WI 541235