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Minnesota

Fishing

Fishing

Fishing Licenses & Fees

  • Any combination (married couple) type license requires each spouse to have a complete customer record on file.
  • Resident youth younger than 16 do not need a fishing license.
  • Licenses, including free licenses, are subject to a $1 issuing fee for original licenses or a 50-cent fee for duplicates. Codes 128 and 129 are subject to a 50-cent duplicate fee. No issuing fees apply to codes 130, 134, 135, 407, 411, 413, or 415.
  • Purchase online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense.
  • License year begins March 1 and ends the last day of February unless otherwise noted.
  • Fish house, dark house or shelter licenses are valid March 1 to April 30 the following year (or 3-year period).
  • A fishing license continues to be valid for the balance of the license period if the licensee’s age, residency, or student qualification status changes.
  • Super Sports licenses include: 50 cents for wolf management; 50 cents for emergency feeding and wild cervidae-deer health management; $1 deer/bear management account; and $2 for deer management.
  • In the table below, the 3-digit code refers to the license identification code.

Resident Angling Licenses

Resident licensesCodeLicenseDescriptionFee
YOUTH ANGLING Resident Individual Age 16 and 17138Youth Annual (Age 16 and 17)Youth Individual Angling (exempt from trout/salmon stamp and spearing license)$5
ADULT ANGLING Resident Individual Ages 18 through 89111Adult AnnualIndividual Angling$25
11024-hourIndividual Angling (no trout/ salmon stamp required) Consecutive 24-hour$12
14072-hourIndividual Angling (no trout/ salmon stamp required) Consecutive 72-hour$14
1413-yearIndividual Angling Consecutive 3-years$71
105½ Bag Limit ConservationIndividual Angling ½ bag limits$17
ANGLING LICENSES Additional Options216SportsIndividual Angling and Small Game$41
142Super SportsIndividual Angling including trout/salmon stamp, Small Game including pheasant and state waterfowl stamps, a deer license (archery, firearms or muzzleloader)$100
134Walleye Stamp ValidationVoluntary Donation$5
135Pictorial Stamp mailed75
cents
128Trout/Salmon Stamp (required for anglers age 18-64; see page 25 for exemptions)Individual Trout and Salmon Validation (required for designated trout streams and lakes, Lake Superior and to harvest trout)$10
129Pictorial Stamp mailedplus 75 cents
150Recreational TurtleRequired to harvest turtles$25
130Sturgeon tag/ endorsementRequired to harvest a sturgeon$5
113Spearing AnnualIndividual Dark House spearing (required for ages 18 through 89)$6
119House or Shelter AnnualFish House, Dark House, or Shelter, see page 81 for details$15
131House or Shelter 3-yearFish House, Dark House, or Shelter, see page 81 for details$42
120House or Shelter Rented AnnualFish House, Dark House, or Shelter, see page 81 for details$30
132House or Shelter Rented 3-yearFish House, Dark House, or Shelter, see page 81 for details$87
115NettingWhitefish and cisco (tullibee) Lakes open to sport gillnetting, the seasons and regulations are online at mndnr.gov/regulations/ fishing or by calling the DNR Information Center.$10
MARRIED ANGLING Resident112Married Combination AnnualMarried Couple Angling, each person may have their own possession limit.$40
106Married ½ Bag Limit Conservation CombinationMarried ½ bag limit Conservation Combination, each person may keep half their regular limit.$27
217Married Combination Sports2 Angling and 1 Small Game$57
143Married Combination Super SportsA combination angling license including 2 trout/salmon stamps, and for the primary licensee an individual small game including pheasant and state waterfowl stamps and a single individual deer license (archery, firearm or muzzleloader).$126
LIFETIME ANGLING Resident Individual Age 16 and 17 Application available at mndnr. gov/licenses/ lifetime411Lifetime AnglingRenewalFREE
Age 3 and younger$344
Age 4 to 15$469
Age 16 to 50$574
Age 51 and older$379
407Lifetime Angling and SpearingRenewalFREE
Age 3 and younger$432
Age 4 to 15$579
Age 16 to 50$678
Age 51 and older$439
413Lifetime Sports (spearing option available but not included)RenewalFREE
Age 3 and younger$522
Age 4 to 15$710
Age 16 to 50$927
Age 51 and older$603

Nonresident Angling Licenses

A $5 surcharge on nonresident licenses is included with the applicable fee. Nonresident youth under age 16, check page 27.

Nonresident angling licenseCodeLicenseDescriptionFee
YOUTH ANGLING Nonresident Individual Age 16 and 17205Youth Annual (Age 16 and 17)Youth Individual Angling
(exempt from trout/salmon stamp
and spearing license). Youth under
age 16 may purchase to possess own
limit.
$5
ADULT ANGLING Nonresident Individual age 18 and over121AnnualIndividual Angling$51
13924-hourIndividual Angling (no trout/salmon stamp required) Consecutive 24-hour$14
12772-hourIndividual Angling (no trout/salmon stamp required) Consecutive 72-hour stamp required) Consecutive 72-hour$36
1267-DayIndividual Angling, Consecutive 7-day$43
ANGLING LICENSES
Nonresident
additional options
134Walleye Stamp ValidationVoluntary Donation$5
135Pictorial stamp mailed+75 cents
128Trout/Salmon Stamp (required for anglers age 18-64)Individual Trout and Salmon Validation$10
129Pictorial stamp mailed+75 cents
130SturgeonRequired to harvest a sturgeon$5
tag/endorsement
118Spearing Annual Age 18 and overIndividual Dark House Spearing (angling license required)$17
116House or Shelter AnnualFish House, Dark House, or Shelter, see page 81 for details$37
117House or Shelter
7-Day
Fish House, Dark House, or Shelter, see page 81 for details$21
133House or Shelter 3-yearFish House, Dark House, or Shelter, see page 81 for details$111
FAMILY ANGLING
Nonresident
Married Couple
124Combination Annual Family1 or both parents and dependent
children under age 16. Enables
each person to keep a limit.
$68
125Combination Annual Family 14-DayMarried Couple Consecutive
14-Day Angling
$54
LIFETIME ANGLING
Nonresident
Individual Application
available at mndnr.
gov/licenses/
lifetime
415Lifetime AnglingRenewalFree
Age 3 and under$821
Age 4 to age 15$1,046
Age 16 to age 50$1,191
Age 51 and over$794

Electronic Licensing Information

The Electronic Licensing System (ELS) issues licenses and stamp validations through 1,400 license agent locations statewide.

Instant Licenses

Customers may purchase instant licenses and stamp validations online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense. An additional convenience fee is added for sales via the website. Purchasing an e-license on your smartphone or tablet means you won’t receive a paper copy of your license. Instead, you elect to receive an email and/or print your valid license.

Lifetime Licenses

First-time purchase of lifetime licenses is only available at the DNR License Center in St. Paul. Application forms are available online or through the DNR Information Center 888-646-6367. A lifetime license holder who is required by law to have a game and fish license, must authorize their participation by obtaining an annual license renewal each year the lifetime license is used. These annual licenses are issued at no fee. Visit mndnr.gov/licenses/lifetime for more information.

Conservation Licenses

  • Conservation Licenses are available only to residents of Minnesota.
  • Daily and possession limits are half of what can be taken with a standard angling license. Fractions are rounded down to next whole number (see page 28 for list).
  • People bowfishing, spearing, or using other approved harvest methods under a Conservation License are limited to one half of the daily and possession limit for that method.
  • Sturgeon harvest tag/endorsement may not be used with a Conservation License.

Trout/Salmon Stamp

Trout and Salmon Stamp

Trout/salmon stamp validations are printed on the ELS license. This is the only verification needed to prove purchase of the trout/salmon stamp. Purchasers may request the actual pictorial stamp for an additional 75 cents.

Except as noted, anglers need a Minnesota trout/salmon stamp validation and a fishing or sports license when fishing in designated trout streams, designated trout lakes, Lake Superior, or when possessing trout on waters that are not designated trout water. All trout and salmon in possession require a trout/salmon validation, unless received as a gift, (see giving fish on page 41). Trout/salmon stamps are not required for children younger than 18 years old, adults who are 65 and older, people fishing with a 24-hour or 72-hour license or people who are exempt from fishing license requirements or who receive a fishing license at no charge.

Walleye Stamp

Walleye Stamp
  • Purchase of a walleye stamp is voluntary; it is not needed for fishing.
  • Revenues from the sale of walleye stamps are used for stocking walleyes purchased from the private sector.
  • Walleye stamp validations are printed on the ELS license. Purchasers may request the actual pictorial stamp for an additional 75 cents.