The Backcountry Press
The country's premier daily HUNTING, FISHING & OUTDOOR news in the USA and around the globe. Read whats happening in your neck of the woods & beyond.
The Backcountry Outdoor News reports the latest hunting and, fishing news along with fishing derbies and tournaments
from:
| ||||||
 | ||||||
| ||||||
| ||||||
|
Whether an event is for freshwater, saltwater, open water or ice fishing, they are listed in our directory.
HUNTING NEWS CATEGORIES
© 2010 Backcountry Press Outdoor News - All Rights Reserved Website Design by:
Connect With Us
| ||||
Disclaimer: The views expressed on this site are that of the authors and not necessarily that of TBC Press
| ||||
The 2020-2021 Wisconsin Game Fish season opened on May 2. All regulations and license requirements apply.
To protect the future walleye fishery, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is extending the catch-and-release walleye season on the Minocqua Chain of Lakes in Oneida County beginning May 2, 2020.
The Wisconsin DNR has also issued new walleye regulations for the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage and connected waterbodies. Anglers should note that these changes went into effect on April 1, 2020, ahead of the game fish season opener on May 2, 2020.
Wisconsin 2020-2021 Game Fish Season Opens with New Walleye Regulations
Submitted by: TBC Press
Posted on: 05/06/20
News # 13522
The DNR reminds anglers to fish close to home and practice social distancing whether fishing from a boat, dock, or shoreline. It is recommended that only anglers living in the same household should fish within six feet of one another.
Fishing licenses are available online through the DNR's Go Wild system or at limited essential businesses throughout Wisconsin. Please visit our fishing license web page for more information and find open vendors within your community. At this time, our service centers remain closed.
Regular fishing rules and regulations apply for all DNR properties. DNR boat launches within open state parks are open. However, all state parks have updated hours of operation from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be closed on Wednesdays. Anglers who want to fish within a state park on Wednesdays may still do so that day.
All restrooms, water fountains, buildings, and facilities are also closed at all state parks. Northern forests, flowages, and the Lower Wisconsin Riverway system are exempt from these changes and remain open from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., 7 days a week.
A list of launches and shorefishing access points is available on the DNR website to help anglers find fishing locations closer to home. Anglers are encouraged to have a backup plan in the event there is crowding or unsafe conditions where you plan to fish.
DNR boat launches are open at open state properties. Please check with local municipalities regarding boat launch closures and consult the 2020-2021 Hook and Line Fishing Regulations for the waterbody you plan to fish. Add hand sanitizer to your tackle box and pack a trash bag.
For more information see; https://dnr.wi.gov/news/releases/article/?id=5111
Catch And-Release Walleye Regulations Remain In Effect On Minocqua Chain For Another Year
The catch-and-release regulation for walleye was implemented in 2015 to help rehabilitate the declining walleye fishery. Several years of no harvest has allowed the walleye population to grow, but natural reproduction and population goals are still not at target levels. The Natural Resources Board approved an emergency rule to put the extension into effect while a permanent rule is under discussion.
Walleyes are currently stocked into the Minocqua Chain to help re-establish populations, but populations on some of the lakes are still below established goals. Walleye population goals are expected to be achieved by 2021 under this emergency rule.
Waters subject to the extended catch and release season include:
- Lake Kawaguesaga
- Lake Minocqua
- Mid Lake
- Little Tomahawk Lake
- Tomahawk Lake
A partnership of stakeholders including the DNR, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Walleyes for Tomorrow, Lac du Flambeau Tribe and Tribal Natural Resources Department and Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company have met over the past several years to evaluate the status of the walleye population and make recommendations to bring it to sustainable levels.
This stakeholder group has worked with the public to support extending the catch-and-release season for walleye to meet walleye population goals in Lakes Kawaguesaga and Tomahawk and solidify natural reproduction across the lakes, which will decrease the need for future stocking of young walleye to sustain the population. The Lac du Flambeau Tribe will also maintain the walleye spearing prohibition on the Minocqua Chain to help achieve these goals.
"One more year of catch and release walleye fishing on the Minocqua Chain will help increase walleye abundance to levels that will be more sustainable for harvest," said Mike Vogelsang, DNR North District fisheries supervisor. "This will also give us time to bring partners and anglers back to the table to discuss permanent regulation options for future fishing seasons."
More information on fishing regulations can be found at https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/regulations/.
New Walleye Regulations For Turtle-Flambeau Flowage
These new walleye regulations will impose a minimum length limit of 12 inches. Anglers will also only be allowed to keep one walleye over 15 inches with a total daily bag limit of three walleyes.
Waters subject to the new regulations include:
- Turtle-Flambeau Flowage
- Trude Lake
- The Bear River
- The Flambeau River - upstream of the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage at Murray's Landing
- The Little Turtle River
- The Manitowish River - upstream of the Flambeau River to the Rest Lake Dam (including Benson, Sturgeon and Vance lakes)
"This new regulation is tailored to a system with a recent decline in natural reproduction, but where harvest pressure on the entire population remains high," said Zach Lawson, a DNR fisheries biologist. "Combining recent survey information with a rich historical dataset on the Turtle-Flambeau Flowage suggests that this regulation is a sustainable option for protecting one of Wisconsin's great walleye fisheries."
This Turtle-Flambeau Flowage regulation change should help reduce the harvest of both juvenile and adult walleyes while still allowing anglers to harvest some quality-sized fish. The goal of this regulation change is to manage for a higher walleye population density with larger walleyes available for harvest.
Visit the 2020 Fishing Regulations for more information.
Stock Image
####
COVID-19
As OUR COUNTRY SLOWLY STARTS to REOPEN AGAIN (from the COVID-19 pandemic) and continue to enjoy outdoor activitie, ALL outdoorsmen (man, woman, child) should follow the guidelines set by nps.gov. These guidelines include; social distancing, the Leave No Trace principles, including pack-in and pack-out, to keep outdoor spaces safe and healthy.
