Lake Superior lake trout harvest

Lake trout are a popular target in the Lake Superior fishery.

The Lake Superior lake trout season opens on Dec. 1 and closes Sept. 30. However, lake trout are managed based on a safe total allowable harvest or quota system. When the recreational allowable harvest is approaching the quota, the season may close before Sept. 30. Check this page for periodic harvest updates and an explanation of the regulation. 

Lake Trout Harvest (WI-2 Waters)

Lake trout harvest will be updated periodically throughout the season.

Harvest Chronology

View the lake trout harvest totals for 2023-2024 in the accordion tab below. Monthly harvest totals will be updated periodically. The season may close when the harvest total reaches the trigger. Please note: The harvest number may not include all charter reports.

Lake trout harvest totals 2023-2024

Date	Month Harvest	Total Harvest	Number To Reach Quota	Number To Reach Trigger
Dec. 2023	21	21	14,979	11,229
Jan. 2024	0	21	14,979	11,229
Feb. 2024	7	28	14,972	11,222
March 2024	34	62	14,938	11,188
April 2024	120	182	14,818	11,068
May 2024	571	753	14,247	10,497
June 2024	1,943	2,696	12,304	8,554
July 2024	2,423	5,119	9,881	6,131
Aug. 2024	2,380	7,499	7,501	3,751
Sep. 2024	-	-	-	-
Monthly harvest totals will be updated periodically.

August lake trout harvest and angler effort continued to be below average from the past few years. The current harvest total is sitting right at the half-way point of the recreational quota.

Lake Trout Sport Angler Quota Calculation

The lake trout sport angler allocation for WI-2 during the 2023-2024 fishing season is 15,000 fish. Angler harvest is monitored using a creel survey and mandatory charter captain reports. A harvest trigger has been set to prevent overharvest of lake trout. When the 11,250 fish trigger is reached, lake trout fishing in WI-2 may be immediately closed, with no more fishing for lake trout. The trigger was set to account for data processing delays during potential high harvest.

Lake Superior Lake Trout Management

The lake trout in Lake Superior are managed within two harvest zones (WI-1 and WI-2). Lake trout numbers declined in the WI-2 zone – the Apostle Islands area of Lake Superior - from 2003 to 2012. As a result, harvest quotas for sport and commercial fishers were reduced. 

How was this regulation selected? Over the past several years, Fisheries Management has asked anglers for input regarding various lake trout regulation options. In the fall of 2017, anglers participated in a poll that included four different bag and length limit options (see below) and the associated risk with each option reaching the quota before the end of the season (Sept. 30).

Results from the survey indicated that most participants supported a regulation that included a bag of two lake trout with a 15-inch minimum and one fish that could be longer than 25 inches. This regulation option allows the most significant harvest opportunity but also has a moderate risk of reaching the quota before the end of the season.