Fishing_Content Page_Lake sturgeon hook and line season

Lake sturgeon hook and line season

Lake sturgeon in hand

2025 Hook And Line Lake Sturgeon Regulations

  • The lake sturgeon hook and line season opens on Sept. 6 and runs through Sept. 30.
  • The minimum length limit for lake sturgeon harvest is 60 inches.

Catch And Release Seasons

  • Menominee River downstream of the Grand Rapids Dam to Green Bay – Sept. 6 - Sept. 30
  • Mississippi River
    • Upstream of Red Wing Dam – Jun. 16 - Mar. 1
    • Downstream of Red Wing Dam – Jun. 16 - Apr. 14
  • St. Croix River downstream from the St. Croix Falls Dam – Jun. 16 - Sept. 1 and Oct. 1 - Mar. 1
  • St. Louis and Nemadji rivers – Jun. 16 - Apr. 14

Sturgeon Harvest

Anglers must purchase a harvest tag if they intend to keep a sturgeon. The harvest tag is available throughout the season and costs $20 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.

Note: 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.

Resident And Nonresident Lake Sturgeon Fishing Licenses

All anglers must have a Wisconsin general inland fishing license unless they are under 16 years old or were born before Jan. 1, 1927. Active military personnel who are Wisconsin residents in active service but on furlough or leave are eligible for a free annual fishing license.

Below is a list of resident and nonresident sturgeon fishing licenses. Unless otherwise noted, all licenses are available for purchase through Go Wild, DNR Service Centers or at one of our sales locations.

Get started and buy your license today.

Resident sturgeon fishing

Resident sturgeon fishing

Type$
Sturgeon Hook & Line Inland20.00
Sturgeon Hook & Line Wisconsin & Michigan20.00

Nonresident sturgeon fishing

Nonresident sturgeon fishing

Type$
Sturgeon Hook & Line Inland50.00
Sturgeon Hook & Line Wisconsin/Michigan50.00
Military Inland Sturgeon Hook & Line20.00
Military WI/MI Sturgeon Hook & Line20.00

 

Tagging Your Sturgeon – The carcass tag only needs to be attached if you leave the sturgeon carcass. However, you must still validate your carcass tag immediately upon harvesting the sturgeon before moving it. How to correctly tag your sturgeon [PDF].

Find A Registration Station

Registration stations are available in areas where sturgeon are traditionally harvested. A harvested fish must be registered at a designated registration station no later than 6 p.m. the day after you caught the fish.

Angling Opportunities

There are angling opportunities for hook-and-line sturgeon anglers in specific harvest areas in some of Wisconsin's larger river systems.

Questions? Contact a biologist

Hook-and-line sturgeon fishing is only allowed on certain waters in Wisconsin. If you have questions about sturgeon fishing and want to talk with a biologist who manages lake sturgeon, consult the lake sturgeon management contact map [PDF].