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Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations 2026

3 WDNR trout classes, 2,727 named waters and 3,298 classified stream segments — WDNR's own data, compiled here so you can search it.

Last updated 2026-09-24 · rebuilt nightly from WDNR data

1,357 of these waters have a full BirdTrout page with live water temperature, access and public land.

Fishing this week? The Wisconsin fishing report carries live water temperatures from every reporting gauge in the state, updated hourly, broken down by region.

Season dates

WDNR's own season text, by WDNR trout class. A stream's season is the one attached to its class, not a single statewide date.

Season Open to fishing
Regular season First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Regular season First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to Nov. 15.
Regular season First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to Sept. 30.
Regular season First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to first Sunday in March.
Regular season First Saturday in May to Oct. 15; Extended catch and release Oct. 16 to Nov. 15.
Regular season First Saturday in May to October 30th.
Regular season Last Saturday in April to Sept. 30.
Regular season Last Saturday in March to Nov. 15.
Regular season Open all year
Early season First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.

Limits by species

WDNR sets Wisconsin's trout limits by water rather than by species: the bag and length limits below apply to trout in total, and only the Great Lakes tributary rules name individual species.

WDNR trout classes

Every class WDNR uses, the waters in it, and what the class means. Counts are of named waters in our copy of the state's data.

Class I 732 named waters · 6,205 mi

High-quality trout water with sustained natural reproduction. No stocking is needed to maintain the fishery.

All 732 named waters

Class Ii 729 named waters · 6,420 mi

Trout water with some natural reproduction, but not enough to use the available habitat. Stocking is needed to maintain a sport fishery.

All 729 named waters

Class Iii 253 named waters · 1,755 mi

Trout water with no natural reproduction, maintained by annual stocking.

All 253 named waters

Bag and season, by regulation category

Wisconsin publishes classification and regulation as two separate layers, and they are two separate statements: the classes above say whether trout reproduce in a stream, and the categories here say what you may keep out of it.

3 Trout in Total Over 8 inches 108 waters · 130 segments

Daily limit
3 trout in total over 8".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
59 waters, 69 segments

Daily limit
3 trout in total over 8".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
49 waters, 57 segments

Daily limit
3 trout in total over 8".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 2 segments

Daily limit
3 trout in total over 8".
Season
Open all year
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
3 trout in total over 8".
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to Sept. 30.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments
All 108 waters in this category

5 Trout in Total of Any Length 2,259 waters · 2,746 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total of any length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1,345 waters, 1,614 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total of any length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
982 waters, 1,126 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total of any length.
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to first Sunday in March.
Applies to
4 waters, 4 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total of any length.
Season
First Saturday in May to October 30th.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total of any length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments
All 2,259 waters in this category

Great Lake Tributary 174 waters · 198 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout over 15" and only 1 of which may be a rainbow trout; minimum length limit: brook trout 8", brown trout 10" salmon 12" and rainbow trout 26".
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to Sept. 30.
Applies to
94 waters, 103 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total; minimum length limit 10"
Season
Open all year
Gear
From September 15 to the first Saturday of the following May, you may not use hooks that have a gap size larger than one-half inch from point to shank. Click 'View Additional Details' to learn more about special night fishing regulations
Special
Special Regulation: From Sep 15 to Dec 31, fishing by any method is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. From Jan 1 to first Saturday in May, hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
Applies to
46 waters, 47 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout over 15" and only 1 of which may be a rainbow trout; minimum length limit: brook trout 8", brown trout 10" salmon 12" and rainbow trout 26".
Season
Last Saturday in March to Nov. 15.
Applies to
25 waters, 26 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout over 15" and only 1 of which may be a rainbow trout; minimum length limit: brook trout 8", brown trout 10" salmon 12" and rainbow trout 26".
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to Nov. 15.
Applies to
11 waters, 11 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout over 15" and only 1 of which may be a rainbow trout, all brook trout caught shall be immediately released; minimum length limit: brown trout 10" salmon 12" and rainbow trout 26".
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to Nov. 15.
Applies to
3 waters, 3 segments

Daily limit
3 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout, only 1 of which may be rainbow trout; length limit: brook trout 10" brown trout 15", salmon 12", and rainbow trout 26".
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to Sept. 30.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout over 15" and only 1 of which may be a rainbow trout; minimum length limit: brook trout 8", brown trout 10" salmon 12" and rainbow trout 26".
Season
Last Saturday in March to Nov. 15.
Gear
Hook and line fishing is allowed from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise on May 7 to September 30 at 11:59 p.m.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total; minimum length limit 10"
Season
Open all year
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total; minimum length limit 10"
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to first Sunday in March.
Gear
From September 15 to the first Saturday of the following May, you may not use hooks that have a gap size larger than one-half inch from point to shank. Click 'View Additional Details' to learn more about special night fishing regulations
Special
Special Regulation: From Sep 15 to Dec 31, fishing by any method is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. From Jan 1 to first Saturday in May, hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout over 15" and only 1 of which may be a rainbow trout, all brook trout caught shall be immediately released; minimum length limit: brown trout 10" salmon 12" and rainbow trout 26".
Season
Last Saturday in March to Nov. 15.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
3 trout in total over 8".
Season
Open all year
Gear
From September 15 to the first Saturday of the following May, you may not use hooks that have a gap size larger than one-half inch from point to shank. Click 'View Additional Details' to learn more about special night fishing regulations
Special
Special Regulation: From Sep 15 to Dec 31, fishing by any method is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. From Jan 1 to first Saturday in May, hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total; minimum length limit 10"
Season
Open all year
Gear
From September 15 to the first Saturday of the following May, you may not use hooks that have a gap size larger than one-half inch from point to shank.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout and salmon in total, only 2 of which may be brown trout over 15" and only 1 of which may be a rainbow trout; minimum length limit: brook trout 8", brown trout 10" salmon 12" and rainbow trout 26".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments
All 174 waters in this category

Length, Bag and Possession Limits Vary by Water 182 waters · 224 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total; only one may be greater than 12"
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
59 waters, 64 segments

Daily limit
2 trout over 12".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
16 waters, 19 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total: all brook trout caught shall be immediately released; brown trout and rainbow trout - no minimum length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
16 waters, 17 segments

Daily limit
3 in total: brown and rainbow trout over 12", brook trout over 8".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
17 waters, 17 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total: all brook trout caught shall be immediately released; brown trout and rainbow trout - no minimum length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
12 waters, 14 segments

Daily limit
3 in total: brown and rainbow trout over 12", brook trout over 8".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
11 waters, 13 segments

Daily limit
All trout caught shall be immediately released.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
8 waters, 9 segments

Daily limit
2 trout over 12".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
9 waters, 9 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total; only one may be greater than 12"
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
7 waters, 7 segments

Daily limit
1 trout over 14".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
3 waters, 5 segments

Daily limit
10 trout in total; no minimum length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
4 waters, 4 segments

Daily limit
1 trout over 14".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
3 waters, 4 segments

Daily limit
1 trout over 18".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 4 segments

Daily limit
1 trout over 18".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
4 waters, 4 segments

Daily limit
5 in total: brown and rainbow trout no length limit; brook trout under 9"
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
3 waters, 3 segments

Daily limit
2 trout over 12".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
3 waters, 3 segments

Daily limit
3 in total: rainbow trout over 12"; brown and brook trout over 8".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 3 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total: all brook trout caught shall be immediately released; brown trout and rainbow trout - no minimum length.
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to first Sunday in March.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 2 segments

Daily limit
5 trout under 12".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 2 segments

Daily limit
All trout caught shall be immediately released.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 2 segments

Daily limit
All trout shall be immediately released.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 2 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total of any length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
2 waters, 2 segments

Daily limit
3 trout over 10".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
2 waters, 2 segments

Daily limit
5 in total: No fish may be kept between 10”-16” and 1 fish over 16” may be kept
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
All trout shall be immediately released.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 in total: brown and rainbow trout no length limit; brook trout under 9"
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
2 trout over 12".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
3 trout; no minimum length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
3 in total: Brown and Rainbow trout under 12", except 1 fish may be over 18”; Brook trout over 8"
Season
First Saturday in May to Oct. 15; Extended catch and release Oct. 16 to Nov. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
3 in total: brown and rainbow trout over 12", brook trout over 8".
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
All trout caught shall be immediately released.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout over 7".
Season
Last Saturday in April to Sept. 30.
Early season
First Saturday in January to First Saturday in April all trout shall be immediately released. Only artificial lures may be used.
Gear
From September 15 to the first Saturday of the following May, you may not use hooks that have a gap size larger than one-half inch from point to shank. Click 'View Additional Details' to learn more about special night fishing regulations
Special
Special Regulation: From Sep 15 to Dec 31, fishing by any method is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. From Jan 1 to first Saturday in May, hook and line fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
3 trout; no minimum length.
Season
First Saturday in May at 5:00 a.m. to first Sunday in March.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 in total: brown trout over 12", brook trout over 8"
Season
Last Saturday in April to Sept. 30.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout over 7".
Season
Last Saturday in April to Sept. 30.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments

Daily limit
5 trout in total: all brook trout caught shall be immediately released; brown trout and rainbow trout - no minimum length.
Season
First Saturday in April at 5:00 a.m. to Oct. 15.
Gear
Only artificial lures may be used.
Applies to
1 water, 1 segments
All 182 waters in this category

Special regulations

Water carrying a rule of its own — a closure, a gear restriction, or a named regulation — with the water it applies to.

Recent changes

Nothing has moved since the previous build. This page is rebuilt nightly against WDNR's data and this section fills in the night a season, a limit or a classification changes.

Coldwater and warmwater rules

Wisconsin's trout regulations apply to classified trout water; everything else runs on the statewide inland season and limits. The classification above says whether trout reproduce there; the bag and season table says what you may keep, and the two are separate WDNR layers that disagree constantly.

Trout fishing near a town in Wisconsin

The same classification, asked the other way round: what WDNR classifies as trout water within forty miles of one place, ranked by how much of it is in range. 86 towns in Wisconsin have one — a town is on this list when the water near it is not the water near a bigger town down the road.

Licence and the official documents

We do not reproduce WDNR's licence pages or its digest. These are the originals.

Verify before you fish. This page is our best-effort compilation from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources data, rebuilt nightly and current as of 2026-09-24. It is not legal advice and it is not the regulation. Emergency orders, in-season changes and the stretches an agency describes in words rather than in data will not all be here. Check the current rules at WDNR before fishing, and tell us what is wrong here — hello@birdtrout.com.
Open the trout map →Every trout stream near you, with the regulation that applies drawn on it.