NR 20.40(1)(1)
Applicability. This section applies to fishing tournaments on lakes, rivers, the Great Lakes, Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters as defined in s.
NR 21.02 (39), Wisconsin-Iowa boundary waters as defined in s.
NR 22.02 (34), and Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters as defined in s.
NR 23.02 (10).
NR 20.40(2)(c)
(c) “Catch and kill tournament" means a fishing tournament where fish are caught by participants, reduced to their possession, and retained as part of the participant's daily bag limit.
NR 20.40(2)(d)
(d) “Catch-hold-release tournament" means a fishing tournament where fish caught by participants are reduced to possession and transported, usually for purposes of recording, and live fish are then released to the water from which they came. This format was previously referred to as a “live-release" tournament.
NR 20.40(2)(dm)
(dm) “Cull" or “culling" means the practice of releasing a live fish that was held in an angler's possession and replacing it with another fish. Live fish that are released and capable of swimming away under their own power are not considered part of the angler's daily bag limit provided the total number of fish possessed at any one time does not exceed the angler's daily bag limit.
NR 20.40 Note
Note: Section 29.403 (1m), Stats., allows culling only during largemouth and smallmouth bass fishing tournaments authorized by the department. An angler must release the fish to be culled without unnecessary delay when keeping a new fish that would otherwise put them over their daily bag limit, and may not resume fishing or other activities until the fish to be culled is first released.
NR 20.40(2)(e)
(e) “Fishing tournament" means any organized fishing activity, on any water of the state where competition is the primary purpose, and where incentives, such as money, prizes or points, are awarded.
NR 20.40(2)(f)
(f) “Immediate-release tournament" means a fishing tournament where fish caught by participants are not reduced to possession and transported, but are held only long enough for identification and to document length or weight or both, and released to the water from which they came.
NR 20.40(2)(g)
(g) “Live well" means a container designed to hold live fish on a boat.
NR 20.40(2)(h)
(h) “Off-site weigh-in" means a weigh-in of fish caught in a catch-hold-release tournament at a location that is not on the shoreline or adjacent to the waters listed on the fishing tournament permit.
NR 20.40(2)(i)
(i) “Open water fishing" means all fishing that occurs except when ice is used as a platform from which to fish.
NR 20.40(2)(j)
(j) “Opening weekend" means the first Saturday and consecutive Sunday in May.
NR 20.40(2)(k)
(k) “Organize" means to advance, conduct, direct, establish, promote or otherwise be responsible for the operation of a fishing tournament.
NR 20.40(2)(L)
(L) “Organizer" means a person who advances, conducts, directs, establishes, organizes, promotes or otherwise is responsible for the operation of a fishing tournament, but does not include a person who only assists in advertising or publicizing another person's fishing tournament.
NR 20.40(2)(m)
(m) “Permitted fishing tournament" means a fishing tournament that requires a permit from the department.
NR 20.40(2)(n)
(n) “Permitted fishing tournament boat days" is a measure of tournament fishing pressure for open water permitted fishing tournaments. It is calculated by multiplying the number of boats participating in an open water permitted fishing tournament by the number of days the permitted fishing tournament is held. Any part of a day shall count as one day.
NR 20.40(2)(o)
(o) “Person" means any individual, partnership, association, organization or body politic or corporate.
NR 20.40(2)(p)
(p) “Possess" for the purposes of this section means to own, control, restrain, transport or keep. Once a fish is possessed, it shall be counted towards the angler's daily bag limit pursuant to s.
NR 20.05 (7). Any of the following conditions constitute possession:
NR 20.40(2)(p)1.
1. Holding a fish out of the water longer than necessary to remove hooks and measure the fish for length, weight or both.
NR 20.40(2)(p)2.
2. Placing a fish into a live well except to revive a fish or to avoid imminent boating danger.
NR 20.40(2)(p)3.
3. Holding a fish at the side of a stationary boat for longer than necessary to register and revive the fish.
NR 20.40(2)(p)4.
4. Resuming fishing by any angler in the boat prior to the release of the fish.
NR 20.40(2)(q)
(q) “Prizes" means money or items that are provided to a tournament participant based on their performance in a competitive fishing event. This does not include “raffle" type prizes which are given to tournament participants independent of their performance in the competitive fishing event.
NR 20.40(2)(r)
(r) “Traditional fishing tournament" means a fishing tournament that was issued permits 4 out of 5 years from 2004 to 2008, for the same water or waters and time period. Beginning January 1, 2009, traditional fishing tournaments shall continue to be conducted at least 4 out of 5 years for the same waterbody and time period to remain a traditional fishing tournament.
NR 20.40(2)(s)
(s) “Weigh-in" means a registration process for catch-hold-release tournaments by which fish are measured and released.
NR 20.40 Note
Note: Weigh-ins on certain department-managed properties may require special event authorization from the department, pursuant to ch. NR 45. NR 20.40(3)
(3)
Permit required. No person may carry out a fishing tournament that meets any of the criteria in pars.
(a) to
(f), without a permit. A person shall obtain a permit from the department to organize a fishing tournament when the waters to be fished are identified by name by the organizer and one or more of the following apply:
NR 20.40(3)(a)
(a) The fishing tournament involves 20 or more boats, or 100 or more participants.
NR 20.40(3)(b)
(b) The fishing tournament includes any trout species on waters classified as trout streams under s.
NR 1.02 (7).
NR 20.40(3)(c)
(c) The fishing tournament is a catch-hold-release tournament with an off-site weigh-in.
NR 20.40(3)(e)
(e) Tournament participants are allowed to cull largemouth and smallmouth bass.
NR 20.40(3)(f)
(f) Notwithstanding the size and bag limits established in s.
NR 20.20, catch-hold-release tournament participants are allowed to take a daily bag limit of up to five bass of a minimum of 14 inches in length.
NR 20.40(3m)
(3m)
Permit exceptions. Except as provided in s.
NR 20.40 (3) (f), organizers do not need a permit under this section to organize and conduct any of the following:
NR 20.40(3m)(a)
(a) Fishing tournaments that are statewide or regional in nature where the specific waters to be fished and landings that must be used, if any, are not identified by name.
NR 20.40(3m)(b)
(b) Fishing tournaments that do not require identification or registration of participants prior to engaging in the tournament.
NR 20.40(3m)(c)3.
3. Allow participants to register at any time during the tournament.
NR 20.40(3s)
(3s) Tournament self-registration. A person who organizes a fishing tournament that does not require a permit from the department as determined under subs.
(3) and
(3m) shall register the event with the department no later than 72 hours prior to the start of the event, in the manner specified by the department, and shall provide all of the following information:
NR 20.40(3s)(b)
(b) The waterbodies that will be fished during the event unless the event is statewide or regional in nature and no specific waterbodies or landings are named.
NR 20.40(3s)(d)
(d) The estimated number of boats, unless the event is an ice fishing tournament.
NR 20.40(3s)(f)
(f) Other information required by the department in the registration form.
NR 20.40(4)
(4)
Application. A person who wishes to organize a fishing tournament requiring a permit from the department shall apply on forms available from the department.
NR 20.40(4)(a)
(a) Permit applications shall specify an individual who is responsible for supervising the tournament to ensure compliance with all tournament permit conditions and regulations.
NR 20.40(4)(b)
(b) Applicants for a fishing tournament permit shall pay a $25.00 non-refundable permit application fee upon submission of the application when the following conditions apply:
NR 20.40(4)(b)2.
2. Total prizes provided to tournament participants are valued at less than $1,001; or
NR 20.40(4)(b)3.
3. The tournament targets salmon or trout species on Lake Michigan, Green Bay, or Lake Superior; or
NR 20.40(4)(c)
(c) Applicants for a fishing tournament permit shall pay a $50.00 non-refundable permit application fee upon submission of the application when the following conditions apply:
NR 20.40(4)(c)1.
1. The tournament format is catch-hold-release or catch and kill; and
NR 20.40(4)(c)2.
2. Total prizes provided to tournament participants are valued at $1,001 or greater and less than $10,001.
NR 20.40(4)(d)
(d) Applicants for a fishing tournament permit shall pay a $200.00 non-refundable permit application fee upon submission of the application when the following conditions apply:
NR 20.40(4)(d)1.
1. The tournament format is catch-hold-release or catch and kill; and
NR 20.40(4)(d)2.
2. Total prizes provided to tournament participants are valued at $10,001 or greater.
NR 20.40(4)(e)
(e) There is no fee for a fishing tournament permit where
50% or more of the participants are younger than 18 years of age or are developmentally disabled as defined under s.
51.01 (5) (a), Stats., or physically disabled and eligible for a license under s.
29.193 (3) or
(3m), Stats.
NR 20.40(5)(a)(a) The department shall accept permit applications for traditional fishing tournaments beginning on January 1 of the year preceding the tournament.
NR 20.40(5)(b)
(b) The department shall accept permit applications for tournaments that are not traditional fishing tournaments beginning on April 1 of the year preceding the tournament.
NR 20.40(5)(c)
(c) All permit applications and application fees must be received by the department at least 30 days prior to the start of the tournament. The department may review permit applications received within 30 days of the tournament start date if the applicant pays a late fee in addition to the application fee which shall be equal to the application fee specified under sub.
(4). If the department is unable to review a late application, the application fee will be returned to the applicant.
NR 20.40(5)(d)
(d) The department shall approve or deny permit applications on a first come first served basis in compliance with the limits in subs.
(7) and
(8).
NR 20.40(6)(a)(a) All participants in a permitted fishing tournament shall comply with all provisions of the permit.
NR 20.40(6)(b)
(b) If a participant fails to comply with the permit, the violating participant shall promptly be disqualified and expelled from the tournament by the organizer.
NR 20.40(6)(c)
(c) All organizers of a permitted fishing tournament shall comply with all permit terms and conditions and the rules of this section and shall take adequate measures to ensure that all participants comply with all provisions of the permit. The organizer of a permitted fishing tournament shall provide each participant a copy of the permit conditions and rules specific to the fishing tournament along with potential penalties for noncompliance prior to any participant being allowed to participate in the tournament.
NR 20.40(6)(d)
(d) Notwithstanding par.
(b), the department may take other appropriate enforcement action against a participant or organizer found to be in violation of this chapter or ch.
29, Stats.
NR 20.40(7)
(7)
Limits on size and number of fishing tournaments. The size and number of permitted fishing tournaments allowed on a water body may not exceed the following limits except in Lake Michigan, Green Bay, Lake Superior, and Lake Winnebago where there are no limits on the size and number of permitted fishing tournaments. Traditional fishing tournaments may be permitted to exceed the limits established in this subsection up to the maximum level of participation or boat days associated with that tournament in the past 5 years. Bass fishing tournaments with fewer than 20 boats will not be included in the maximum daily number of boats allowed on open water, the maximum monthly number of permitted fishing tournament boat days, the maximum daily number of concurrent permitted fishing tournaments, or the maximum number of permitted fishing tournaments per month on rivers.
NR 20.40(7)(a)
(a) The following monthly limits on permitted fishing tournament size, number, and total boat days are based on lake acreage are outlined in the table below.
-
See PDF for table 
NR 20.40(7)(b)
(b) Open water fishing tournaments on lakes or lake chains smaller than 100 acres may be permitted if the department finds that the tournament:
NR 20.40(7)(b)1.
1. Will promote public awareness of fishing and the state's resources and conforms to the best management practices for the lake; or
NR 20.40(7)(c)
(c) The following shall apply to fishing tournaments permitted for any combination of lakes within a chain of interconnected lakes:
NR 20.40(7)(c)1.
1. Permitted fishing tournaments may engage in fishing activities in lake chains or connected lakes but the tournament organizer must select a lake where the primary fishing activity or weigh-in will take place.
NR 20.40(7)(c)2.
2. The availability of permits will be based on the acreage of the lake selected in subd.
1. as outlined in par.
(a).
NR 20.40(7)(d)
(d) For boundary water lakes, the limits on the number of permitted fishing contests shall be determined based on the Wisconsin acreage.
NR 20.40(7)(e)
(e) For flowages and impoundments of rivers, the limits in par.
(a) shall include tributaries upstream to the first dam or road crossing unless otherwise specified in the permit.
NR 20.40(7)(f)1.
1. The maximum number of permitted fishing tournaments per month on the Mississippi River, Lake St. Croix, St. Croix River, Wisconsin River, Fox River and Wolf River are outlined in the following table.
-
See PDF for table NR 20.40(7)(f)2.
2. Fishing tournament waters identified in the permit for Mississippi River pools are limited to no more than 3 pools where each pool is separated by a lock and dam.
