Wisconsin
Wisconsin's general inland fishing season opens May 4; what to know
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has several reminders for anglers ahead of the general inland fishing season, which opens on Saturday, May 4.
DNR fisheries biologists expect anglers to find success on opening day.
No matter where anglers decide to fish, all Wisconsin residents and nonresidents over the age of 16 are required to purchase a fishing license. Anglers can buy licenses through Go Wild, the DNR’s license portal, or from a license agent.
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This year, new fishing regulations are in effect, including a new small tournament registration requirement and a statewide daily bag limit of three walleye/sauger per day on all inland waters. There are also bag and length limit changes for fish species in the following counties: Brown, Chippewa, Dane, Dunn, Eau Claire, Iowa, Iron, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, Oconto, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Vilas, Walworth, Waukesha and Waushara.
The full 2024-2025 hook and line fishing and trout fishing regulations are available online and in print in English, Spanish, Hmong and large print versions.
Fishing reminders
As anglers head out to their favorite fishing locations, the DNR would like to remind them to:
- Minimize the spread of aquatic invasive species by removing plants and animals from their boat before and after launching, draining all water from compartments and never moving live fish away from any waterbody.
- To prevent the spread of fish diseases, remove all water, aquatic vegetation and/or mud from fishing equipment before leaving their fishing location. All fishing equipment, including boats, trailers, boots, waders, nets and float tubes, should be thoroughly cleaned and dried completely before being used again.
- Practice responsible catch and release if they are letting their catch go.
- Follow safe boating procedures and always wear a life jacket.
Those looking to fish one of Wisconsin’s 13,000 miles of trout streams can use the recently updated Trout Regulations and Opportunities User Tool (TROUT) to learn regulations and find locations of DNR fishing easements, public lands and classified trout waters. For anglers looking for spots with easy access, try one of the several ponds stocked with catchable trout in the area.
With more than 15,000 inland lakes, 42,000 miles of perennial streams and rivers, 1,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline and 260 miles of the Mississippi River, Wisconsin offers anglers of all skill levels a variety of places to cast a line.
Discover new places to fish, launches, fishing locations and other fishing information on the DNR’s fishing webpage or by contacting your local fisheries biologist.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Supreme Court will decide whether mobile voting sites are legal
MADISON, Wis. — The state Supreme Court announced Friday that it will decide whether mobile voting sites are legal without allowing any lower appellate courts to rule first.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, a conservative law firm, sued in December 2022 on behalf of Racine County Republican Party Chair Ken Brown, alleging Racine city officials illegally used a voting van to collect absentee ballots that year. A circuit judge ruled in January that state law doesn’t allow mobile voting sites to operate.
Racine City Clerk Tara McMenamin and the Democratic National Committee asked the state Supreme Court in February to review the case without letting any lower appellate courts rule on it first.
Justice Janet Protasiewicz’s election win in 2023 gave liberals a 4-3 majority on the court, increasing the likelihood of a reversal. Brown filed a motion in March asking Protasiewicz to recuse herself from the case but she declined.
The justices issued an order Friday afternoon indicating they had voted 4-3 to take the case. All three conservative justices dissented. Chief Justice Annette Ziegler, a member of the conservative block, wrote that the case hasn’t been fully briefed and the liberal justices are trying to help Democrats make political gains ahead of the November elections.
Wisconsin
Anglers get ready to hit Wisconsin’s lakes for fishing opener
SIREN, Wis. — Anglers will head to Wisconsin this weekend for the state’s fishing opener, where they’ll get a good idea of how the mild winter will also impact the fish bite during next week’s opener in Minnesota.
It’s a beautiful, picturesque Friday on Clam Lake near Siren, where all the talk is about the weather and the fishing opener.
Big Mike’s Outdoor Sports Shop in Siren has been selling bait for more than 30 years. While the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says fishing license sales are a little bit down after they peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Mike’s Greg Dahlke says they aren’t really seeing that.
He says a lot of anglers are eager to see how the lack of ice this past winter impacts what they catch on Saturday.
“It will pick up tremendously this afternoon. We’ve been waiting a long time. The last two winters these guys missed a lot of ice fishing. You’re probably aware, the no ice, ice, then no ice,” Dahlke said. “People are excited.”
Dahlke says water temperatures should be ideal for fish like northern and bass.
Since Big Mike’s didn’t sell as much bait this past winter due to the ice issues, Dahlke says they’re hoping to make up for lost ground this weekend.
Wisconsin
38-year-old Wisconsin Rapids woman dies in one-vehicle crash Friday morning in Biron
The crash happened shortly after midnight near the address of 471 N. Biron Drive.
BIRON – A 38-year-old Wisconsin Rapids woman is dead after a one-vehicle crash early Friday morning.
The crash happened shortly after midnight near the address of 471 N. Biron Drive. The initial investigation shows the vehicle was traveling north on Biron Drive at a high rate of speed and failed to negotiate a curve, according to a news release from the Wood County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle left the road and hit a tree.
The Wisconsin Rapids woman was the only person in the vehicle, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The crash remains under investigation.
The Grand Rapids Police Department, Wood County Rescue, Biron Fire Department, Biron First Responders, Wisconsin Rapids Ambulance, Wood County Dispatch Center and Neiman’s Tow Service assisted at the scene.
More local news: Shoppers evacuated from Wisconsin Rapids Walgreens Thursday after store filled with haze
Wisconsin Rapids Streetwise: Hawaiian Tanning Studio relocates and more local business news
Editor Jamie Rokus can be reached at jrokus@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jamie_Rokus.
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