NR 20.08(6)(a)(a) Live fish or live fish eggs imported in compliance with the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection’s import and health requirements in ch. ATCP 10. NR 20.08 NoteNote: Section ATCP 10.62 (1) prohibits the importation into Wisconsin of live fish or live fish eggs for use as bait without a written import permit from the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. NR 20.08(6)(b)(b) Live fish or live fish eggs obtained in Minnesota or Iowa and used as bait in or on waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad tracks on the Iowa or Minnesota side of the river, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad tracks lying on the Wisconsin side of the river, including all sloughs and backwaters, bays and newly extended water areas connected with the main channel of the Mississippi River by a channel which is navigable when the waters are approximately equal to the normal pool elevation as created by the U.S. army corps of engineers and in the waters of Lake St. Croix, and the St. Croix River and the St. Louis River as defined in s. NR 21.02 (39). NR 20.08(7)(7) Possess for use as bait, or use as bait any dead fish, dead fish egg or any part of any dead fish or dead fish egg unless at least one of the following applies: NR 20.08(7)(a)(a) It is being possessed or used on Lake Michigan, Green Bay or any waters connected to these waters upstream to the first dam or other obstruction impassable to fish. NR 20.08(7)(b)(b) It is being possessed or used on the same water body from which it was obtained, or on any water connected to that water body that is not separated by a dam or other obstruction impassable to fish. NR 20.08(7)(c)(c) It has been preserved in a manner that does not require either refrigeration or freezing. NR 20.08(7)(d)(d) It is a minnow that is a “live fish” as defined in s. NR 20.03 (19g) and was obtained and possessed lawfully from waters of the state or it was imported in compliance with sub. (6) (a) or (b). NR 20.08 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, May, 1999, No. 521, eff. 6-1-99; CR 01-012: am. (2), Register November 2001 No. 551, eff. 4-1-02; emerg. cr. (6) and (7), eff. 11-2-07; CR 07-074: cr. (6) and (7) Register May 2008 No. 629, eff. 6-1-08; CR 10-053: am. (6) (b) Register December 2010 No. 660, eff. 1-1-11; CR 19-091: am. (7) (a), (b) Register March 2020 No. 771, eff. 4-1-20. NR 20.09NR 20.09 Spearing restrictions. No person may do any of the following: NR 20.09(1)(1) Possess or control any bow, crossbow, spear, or similar device while on any water or on the banks or shores of any water that might be used for the purpose of fishing except as specifically authorized in ss. NR 20.10, 20.15 (1m) or 20.20, or ch. NR 21, 22, or 23. NR 20.09 NoteNote: Bows, crossbows, spears, and similar devices may not be possessed or used on some department-managed lands and associated waters regulated under chs. NR 11 and 45. NR 20.09(2)(2) Use, possess, or control any bow, crossbow, spear, or similar device from sunset to sunrise while on the waters or on the banks or shores of any waters except as authorized in s. NR 20.20, and that a bow and arrow or crossbow may be possessed and used for spearing rough fish, bullheads and catfish from sunset to sunrise during the open season for spearing rough fish. NR 20.09(3)(a)(a) White bass, yellow bass, rock bass, panfish and bullheads may be speared while skin diving or scuba diving during the open season for rough fish spearing on waters specified in s. NR 20.20, provided that the season for white bass, yellow bass, rock bass, panfish and bullheads is also open on the same water. Daily bag limits and size restrictions specified in s. NR 20.20 for white bass, yellow bass, rock bass, panfish and bullheads also apply. NR 20.09(3)(b)(b) Flathead and channel catfish may be taken with a bow and arrow or crossbow during the open season for taking catfish with a bow and arrow or crossbow on waters specified in s. NR 20.20. NR 20.09(3)(c)(c) Bullheads may be taken with a bow and arrow or crossbow during the open season for taking bullheads with a bow and arrow or crossbow on waters specified in s. NR 20.20. NR 20.09(4)(4) Fail to remove any speared fish from the water and dispose of the fish in compliance with s. 287.81 (2), Stats. NR 20.09 HistoryHistory: Cr. Register, May, 1999, No. 521, eff. 6-1-99; am. (2), Register, February, 2000, No. 530, eff. 4-1-00; CR 01-012: am. (3), Register November 2001 No. 551, eff. 4-1-02; CR 02-073: am. (2), Register January 2003 No. 565, eff. 2-1-03; CR 04-024: am. (3) Register December 2004 No. 588, eff. 1-1-05; CR 09-051: am. (2) Register June 2010 No. 654, eff. 7-1-10; CR 13-001: am. (1), (2) Register August 2013 No. 692, eff. 9-1-13; CR 13-019: am. (1), (2) Register December 2013 No. 696, eff. 4-1-14; CR 19-009: am. (2), renum. (3) to (3) (intro.) and am., cr. (3) (b), (c) Register February 2020 No. 770, eff. 3-1-20; CR 21-021: am. (1) Register November 2021 No. 791, eff. 4-1-22; correction in (1) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register November 2021 No. 791; CR 21-058: am. (1), (2), cr. (4) Register March 2022 No. 795, eff. 4-1-22; error in transcription corrected in (1) Register March 2022 No. 795. NR 20.10NR 20.10 Special lake sturgeon spearing restrictions. No person may do any of the following: NR 20.10(1)(1) Fish for sturgeon on Lake Winnebago system waters by any means other than spearing with a spear thrown by hand from inside a fishing shelter placed on the ice during the open season specified in s. NR 20.20 (73) (e). NR 20.10(2)(2) Fish with or possess a fishing pole, hook and line or other similar devices that might be used for the purpose of catching fish within any fishing shelter containing an ice hole larger than 12 inches in diameter or square during the open season for spearing lake sturgeon on waters specified in s. NR 20.20 (73) (e). NR 20.10(3)(3) Cover holes cut in the ice which are used or maintained for sturgeon spearing pursuant to s. NR 20.11 (2) with a fishing shelter except during the period from 48 hours before and continuing through the open season for lake sturgeon spearing. NR 20.10(4)(4) Use or possess any artificial light while sturgeon spearing in order to illuminate any waters open to sturgeon spearing during the period beginning 48 hours before and continuing through the open season for lake sturgeon spearing. NR 20.10(5)(5) Cut, use or maintain holes in the ice larger than 48 square feet for sturgeon spearing pursuant to s. NR 20.11 (2). NR 20.10(6)(6) Fish for sturgeon during the open season by the method of spearing or possess or control a spear or similar device within a fishing shelter on Lake Winnebago system waters from 12 a.m. until 7 a.m. on opening day, and from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. on opening day and subsequent days. NR 20.10(7)(7) Fish for lake sturgeon with a spear having a spearhead width greater than 18 inches as measured from the outside edge of one outermost tine to the outside edge of the other outermost tine, excluding barbs, or with tines arranged in any formation other than a single straight line, or both, or possess such a spear during the open season for lake sturgeon. NR 20.10 NoteNote: Barbs are not considered to be part of the tine and may extend beyond 18 inches.
NR 20.10(8)(8) Possess, maintain or control a spear in a sturgeon fishing shelter unless in possession of a valid sturgeon spearing license and unused carcass tag for the waterbody on which that shelter is located.