NR 21.06(4) (4) No person may fish by snagging, foul hooking or attempting to hook fish other than in the mouth. Possessing, retaining or failing to immediately release fish hooked other than in the mouth is prohibited.

NR 21.06 History History: Cr. Register, February, 1979, No. 278, eff. 3-1-79; am. (1) (a), Register, December, 1985, No. 360, eff. 1-1-86; am. (1) (d), Register, November, 1994, No. 467, eff. 1-1-95; am. (2), Register, May, 1996, No. 485, eff. 6-1-96; CR 01-012: cr. (4), Register November 2001 No. 551, eff. 4-1-02; CR 08-010: am. (1) (b) and (d) Register November 2008 No. 635, eff. 4-1-09; CR 09-051: am. (1) (d) Register June 2010 No. 654, eff. 7-1-10; CR 13-001: am. (1) (d) Register August 2013 No. 692, eff. 9-1-13; CR 19-009: am. (1) (d), cr. (1) (f) Register February 2020 No. 770, eff. 3-1-20; correction in (1) (d) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register February 2020 No. 770.

NR 21.065 NR 21.065 Fishing near dams. Notwithstanding ss. NR 21.11 and 21.15, which remain in effect, no person may fish within 200 feet of any fishway, lock or dam by any means other than hook and line.

NR 21.065 History History: CR 01-012: cr. Register November 2001 No. 551, eff. 4-1-02.

NR 21.07 NR 21.07 Ice fishing shelters. Buildings, vehicles, tents, fish shanties or similar enclosures may be used on the ice for fishing purposes on the Mississippi river, Lake St. Croix, the St. Croix river and St. Louis river as defined in s. NR 21.02 (39) from the time the ice forms; provided, however, that all such enclosures or shelters shall be removed from the ice on or before March 1 of each year. The door of any such enclosure or shelter must be equipped with a latch which will permit the door to be readily opened from the outside at all times while the enclosure or shelter is occupied. Fishing shelters that are not occupied or otherwise in use shall have the name and residential address of the person owning such shelter or enclosure painted or permanently affixed in the English language on the outside of the structure with lettering a minimum of one inch square. Residents of Wisconsin or Minnesota angling from a fish house shall comply with the law of their respective states relative to licensing and identification of fish houses. Residents of states other than Wisconsin and Minnesota who hold a nonresident fishing license from either state must comply with the law of the issuing state relative to the licensing and identification of fish houses.

NR 21.07 History History: Cr. Register, February, 1979, No. 278, eff. 3-1-79; CR 10-053: am. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11; CR 13-001: am. Register August 2013 No. 692, eff. 9-1-13.

subch. II of ch. NR 21 Subchapter II — Minnows

NR 21.08 NR 21.08 Minnow nets and traps. Except as provided in ss. NR 20.20 and 21.06 (1) (d), no person may take fish other than smelt with nets or traps in the St. Louis river. No person may take minnows or shiners from the St. Louis river. Only those minnow seines, minnow dip nets, cast nets, minnow traps or crayfish scoops described as follows and operated in the manner specified may be used for the taking of minnows:

NR 21.08 Note Note: For the reference to s. NR 20.20, see (73) (L) 5. of that table.

- See PDF for table

NR 21.08 History History: Cr. Register, February, 1979, No. 278, eff. 3-1-79; emerg. am. (intro.), eff. 4-25-89; am. (intro.), Register, December, 1989, No. 408, eff. 1-1-90; am. (intro.), Register, December, 1993, No. 456, eff. 1-1-94; CR 04-024: am. (intro.) Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 1-1-04; correction in (intro.) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2004 No. 588.

NR 21.09 NR 21.09 Carp as bait. Live carp taken and possessed for the purpose of bait shall only be transported live by boat or other floating conveyance while in possession on Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters.

NR 21.09 History History: Cr. Register, February, 1979, No. 278, eff. 3-1-79; CR 10-053: am. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11.

subch. III of ch. NR 21 Subchapter III — Commercial Fishing

NR 21.10 NR 21.10 Boundary water, commercial fishing restriction. For the purpose of fishing under a commercial fishing license or the taking of turtles, in the Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters, licensed commercial fishers and agents of the licensees are restricted to the state boundaries of the state they are licensed under. No person may operate any commercial fishing gear or turtle traps beyond the state line boundaries of the state in which the license was issued.

NR 21.10 History History: Cr. Register, February, 1979, No. 278, eff. 3-1-79; r. and recr., Register, October, 1998, No. 514, eff. 10-1-98; CR 10-053: am. Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11.

NR 21.11 NR 21.11 Commercial fishing restrictions.

NR 21.11(1) (1) General restrictions. No person may conduct commercial fishing operations unless he or she has first obtained the appropriate license or licenses required under ss. 29.523 and 29.533, Stats. A commercial fisher shall carry each license with him or her at all times while engaged in any part of commercial fishing and shall exhibit the license to the department or its wardens on demand. Each commercial fishing licensee must be a resident of the Wisconsin. Commercial fish helpers and crew members are not required to hold a license but a commercial fisher using helpers or crew members who do not hold a Wisconsin commercial fishing license shall submit to the department a list of all unlicensed helpers’ or crew members’ names and addresses along with the fisher’s application for a license or before the helper or crew member begins to assist the licensee. Commercial fishers whose commercial fishing approvals or privileges have been suspended or revoked may not act as a helper or crew member for another licensee during the period of suspension or revocation.

NR 21.11 Note Note: Names and addresses of fish helpers and crew members may be submitted with the fisher’s application for a license to the Department of Natural Resources, Mississippi River License application — CS/1, P.O. Box 7924, Madison, WI 53707-7924 or may be submitted along with a licensee’s monthly catch report.

NR 21.11(1)(a) (a) All game fish that are not commercial fish and all fish that are listed in ch. NR 27 as endangered or threatened species that are taken with any net or setline shall be immediately returned to the water with as little injury as possible as soon as they appear in the operation. Seines may not be bagged in a manner that causes either game fish that are not commercial fish or fish that are listed in ch. NR 27 as endangered or threatened species to die while bagged in the net. The presence of dead game fish that are not commercial fish or dead fish that are listed in ch. NR 27 as endangered or threatened species in a seine bag shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this paragraph.

NR 21.11(1)(b) (b) Each person required to hold a commercial fishing license shall be present at all times when any of his or her nets or setlines are set, placed, tended or operated. The licensee does not need to be present when fish are removed from a bagged seine or crib while the licensee transports commercial fish on the water or ice or is tending to the loading of commercial fish at a boat landing.

NR 21.11(1)(c) (c) Measurement of mesh size is by stretch measure. Such measurements apply to net meshes when in use and no allowance will be made for the shrinkage due to any cause. (29.041, 29.516, 29.522)

NR 21.11(1)(cf) (cf) No person may mark or tag a net or setline with his or her license number or metal tag if the net or setline is already marked or tagged by another licensed commercial fisher, except that up to two commercial fishers may each place one of their net tags on the same net and may lift or operate this net when it is agreed to by both commercial fishers. Only one net flag with one number may be displayed on a net at any time and only the commercial fisher whose flag is attached to the net may set, place, tend, operate or lift the net.

NR 21.11(1)(cm) (cm) No person may set, place, tend or operate any net or setline that is marked or tagged with the license number or metal tag of another person, except for crew members acting under the direction of the licensee while the licensee is present.

NR 21.11(1)(d) (d) There are no bag limits for any commercial species other than are expressly provided in this chapter. (29.041)

NR 21.11(1)(e) (e) Improperly placed or tagged commercial fishing gear is a public nuisance and will be seized and held by the department subject to order of the court.

NR 21.11(1)(g) (g) No licensed commercial fisher or any member of his or her crew or any person with the commercial fisher or crew may possess any game fish that are not commercial fish while operating commercial gear on the ice or in the open waters of the state or when traveling to or from the operation of the gear.

NR 21.11(1)(h) (h) No person may possess or control commercial fishing gear not authorized for use in the Wisconsin-Minnesota boundary waters by this chapter while on the ice or the open waters of the state or while engaged in a fishing operation involving those waters.

NR 21.11(1)(i) (i) All fishers required to be licensed under the provisions of ss. 29.523 and 29.533, Stats., shall complete and submit monthly reports on forms available from the department. All reports shall be submitted to the department by the 10th of the month following each month the commercial fisher is required to be licensed. Each monthly report shall be signed by the commercial fisher. Each commercial fisher shall report all fish sold or kept whether these fish were legally or illegally taken or obtained, the buyers name, address and phone number, and all other information requested on the report form.