Lake sturgeon hook and line season
2025 Hook And Line Lake Sturgeon Regulations
Lake Sturgeon Catch and Release Waters and Seasons
| Water | Date | Bag Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Namekagon River from the Hayward Dam (Sawyer Co.) to the St. Croix River (Burnett Co.); St. Croix River including Upper St. Croix Lake upstream from the St. Croix Dam at Gordon Flowage (Douglas Co.); Bear River from the Lac du Flambeau Dam (Vilas Co.); Manitowish River from the Rest Lake Dam (Vilas Co.); Little Turtle River from the Lake of the Falls Dam (Iron Co.); Flambeau River from the confluence of the Manitowish and Bear rivers including Turtle-Flambeau Flowage (Iron Co.) and South Fork Flambeau River from the Round Lake Dam (Price Co.) downstream to the Chippewa River (Rusk Co.); Butternut Lake (Price Co.); East Fork Chippewa River (Ashland Co.) and West Fork Chippewa River from Moose Lake Dam (Sawyer Co.) including Chippewa Flowage (Sawyer Co.); Chippewa River from the Chippewa Flowage Dam (Sawyer Co.) to the Mississippi River (Buffalo/Pepin Co.); Jump River from its North/South Forks (Price Co.) to the Chippewa River (Chippewa Co.); Eau Claire River from Lake Altoona Dam (Eau Claire Co.) to the Chippewa River (Eau Claire Co.); Red Cedar River from the Lake Menomin Dam (Dunn Co.) to the Chippewa River (Dunn Co.); Black River from the Black River Falls Dam (Jackson Co.) to the Mississippi River (La Crosse Co.); Wisconsin River from the Merrill Flowage Dam (Lincoln Co.) to the Mississippi River (Grant/Crawford Co.) | June 6, 2026 – March 7, 2027 | 0 - Catch and release only |
| Mississippi River upstream of the Red Wing Dam; St. Croix River upstream of the St. Croix Falls Dam | June 16, 2026 -March 1, 2027 | 0 - Catch and release only |
| St. Louis River and Mississippi River downstream of the Red Wing Dam | June 16, 2026 - April 14, 2027 | 0 - Catch and release only |
| St. Croix River downstream from the St. Croix Falls Dam | June 16, 2026 - Sept. 4, 2026 | 0 - Catch and release only |
| St. Croix River downstream from the St. Croix Falls Dam | Oct. 1, 2026 - March 1, 2027 | 0 - Catch and release only |
| Menominee River downstream of the Grand Rapids Dam to Green Bay | Sept. 6, 2026- Sept. 30, 2026 | 0 - Catch and release only |
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.
2025 Hook and Line Sturgeon Harvest by Water
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 Inland 20.00 Sturgeon Hook & Line Wisconsin & Michigan 20.00 Nonresident sturgeon fishing
Nonresident sturgeon fishing
Type $ Sturgeon Hook & Line Inland 50.00 Sturgeon Hook & Line Wisconsin/Michigan 50.00 Military Inland Sturgeon Hook & Line 20.00 Military WI/MI Sturgeon Hook & Line 20.00
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].