General Regulations

Tackle and Lines

How many lines can I fish with?

• You may use only 1 line during the open water season except 2 lines may be used in the Minnesota River downstream of the Granite Falls Dam and in the Mississippi River downstream of St. Anthony Falls.
• You may use 2 lines through the ice except on designated trout lakes and streams.
• On designated trout lakes and streams, only 1 line is allowed at any time.
• More than 1 line may be allowed on border waters (page 66) and Lake Superior (page 34).

How many hooks can I use on the end of my line?

• Only 1 artificial bait/lure or 1 single tackle configuration can be used at the end of your line for it to be considered a single line.
• Up to 3 single- or multiple-pronged hooks may be used as a single tackle configuration but the total distance between hooks cannot exceed 9" (see below).
• “Umbrella” style rigs may be used provided only 1 wire contains hooks. The other wires may include lures/baits but cannot contain hooks.
• You may use up to 3 artificial flies on 1 fishing line when you are fishing for bass, crappie, rock bass, sunfish, or trout. There are no restrictions on distance between the flies.
• Unless fishing on a designated trout stream or lake, you may add 1 additional “stinger” hook on a line as part of a single artificial lure or bait. The “stinger” hook must be within 3" of the artificial lure/bait.

Single Tackle Configuration Example

Artificial Lure/Baits Examples

Bait

Can I use bait in Minnesota waters?

• You can fish with a variety of live or dead bait including worms, night crawlers, insects and larvae. If you are fishing with minnows or leeches, a number of restrictions apply.
• If you choose to keep your bait when done fishing, you must exchange water in bait buckets with tap or bottled water prior to leaving any waterbody, except when you are fishing through the ice. The exception for ice fishing does not apply when fishing on Lake Superior.
• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. It is illegal to release bait into Minnesota lakes and rivers. All earthworms are non-native and can damage forests if released.
• You can’t use whole or parts of game fish, goldfish, carp, or salamanders (including mudpuppies) for bait. See page 35 for Lake Superior exceptions.

What are the rules for taking and transporting live minnows and leeches?

• You can't import live minnows or leeches into Minnesota.
• Dead bait may only be imported if it comes from a waterbody tested negative for Viral Hemmorhagic Septicemia (VHS) with a negative fish health certification or has been preserved under a DNR bait preservation permit issued to a commercial license. All imported dead bait must be labeled and the labeling kept on your person while angling (see website for examples).
• You can take an unlimited number of minnows and leeches with an angling license for personal use; however you may not transport more than 12 dozen at a time without a commercial minnow license. All minnows and leeches must be transported in tap/well or bottled water.

Where can I harvest minnows and leeches?

You can take them from all waters of the state where you can legally access the water except:

• Within the boundaries of state parks.
• Within designated trout waters, except under permit.
• Most aquatic invasive species infested waters. See mndnr.gov/AIS for a current list.
• All streams and connected waters in Lincoln, Pipestone, Murray, Rock and Nobles counties south of U.S. Highway 14 and west of U.S. Highway 59 to the South Dakota border.
• A harvest permit is required to take madtoms and stonecats in Dodge, Freeborn and Mower counties.

Can I harvest bait from infested waters?

• Minnows and leeches may be taken for personal use from waters infested solely with Eurasian watermilfoil using a cylindrical trap not exceeding 16" in diameter and 32" long. At these waters, harvested bait may only be used on the water where taken. The harvest and use of bait from other infested waters is prohibited.
• Within infested streams and rivers (except for the St. Louis River Estuary), bullhead, sucker, mooneye, goldeye, and freshwater drum may be taken by hook and line for personal use as bait on the same water. Harvested bait may not be transported live from the river or stream. Where a river or stream is divided by barriers such as dams, fish for bait must be caught and used on the same section.
• You can obtain a DNR permit at mndnr.gov/fishing to take gizzard shad by cast net for personal use as bait for fishing from Minnesota portions of the Mississippi River downstream of St. Anthony Falls, the Minnesota River downstream of Granite Falls, and the St. Croix River downstream of Taylors Falls Dam.

How can I take minnows and leeches?

You can use dip nets, seines and traps. See restrictions below:

• Seines may not be longer than 25 feet nor have bar mesh greater than 1⁄4". If the bar mesh is between 3⁄16" and 1⁄4", the seine may not be taller than 37", otherwise the seine may not be taller than 48".
• Traps dimensions may not exceed 30" in length, 30" in width, nor 15" in height. The diameter of the opening may not exceed 11⁄2", and the mesh size may not exceed 1⁄2" bar measure. Traps must have a waterfproof tag bearing the name and address of the owner.
• You cannot use throw nets (cast nets) without a DNR permit (see page 38).

When do I need to get a commercial license to take and sell minnows and leeches?

• If you want to transport more than 12 dozen.
• If you want to sell minnows or leeches at retail or wholesale.

What are the rules for live suckers?

Suckers 12" and shorter are considered minnows and regular bait rules for minnows apply. However, suckers longer than 12" may only be transported alive if they are in containers that are not livewells or other parts of a boat and only if bought from a licensed commercial vendor. You must have a valid sales receipt from the vendor on your person.

What are the rules for live bullheads?

• Live bullheads may not be transported north of Minnesota Highway 210.
• Bullheads less than 7" in length are considered minnows and may be possessed in any quantity south of Minnesota Highway 210. Bullheads must be transported in a container with a locking lid.
• You may take and possess bullheads, 7-10" in length, for use as live bait. They are counted as part of your daily and possession limit of 100.
• Legal methods of taking bullheads are dip net, angling or minnow seines.

What is restricted bait and can I harvest and use it?

• Restricted bait includes cisco (tullibee) less than 7", smelt, and VHS-susceptible species (such as fathead minnows, bluntnose minnows, spottail shiners, and emerald shiners).
• For restricted bait rules on Lake Superior and tributaries, see page 35.
• Live restricted bait must have been purchased from a licensed retailer (retain proof of purchase) or come from a VHS-free source.
• Dead restricted bait can only be used if it was harvested from a waterbody tested for VHS with a negative fish health certification, a VHS free zone (see mndnr.gov/bait-dead), or has been preserved and labeled under a bait preservation permit issued to a commercial license.
• All restricted dead bait must be labeled and the labeling kept on your person while angling (see mndnr.gov/bait-dead for examples).
• Freezing is not a bait preservation method because freezing doesn’t kill VHS.

Where can I get more information about bait?

Check the Other Species section of the online regulations or contact the Minnesota DNR Information Center at 888-MINNDNR, or go to mndnr.gov/bait-dead40 Continued on next page

Methods

What if people are fishing together from a boat or on shore?

• A party is two or more people fishing together from a single watercraft or on shore while maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact.
• The number of fish your party possesses can’t be more than the combined limits of all party members. You may not transport more than your individual daily or possession limit.

What fishing methods are illegal?

• Intentionally fishing for a species during its closed season.
• Using an artificial light to lure, attract or spot fish. However, you may use a lighted artificial lure. Batteries used in lighted fishing lures must not contain mercury.
• Leaving your fishing line with hooks attached in the water unattended. Receiving electronic notifications is not considered attending your fishing line.
• Using explosives, firearms, chemicals (not including a scented bait), spring (or automatic hook setting) devices that impale or hook fish, or electricity to take fish.
• Taking fish by hand (noodling) or by snagging.

Possession

How many fish can I keep?

• Your daily and possession limits are the same unless otherwise noted. Some waters have reduced daily limits but statewide possession limits (pages 46-64) which means an angler can keep 1 limit per day from that water but can't exceed the statewide possession limit (pages 29-33) at any time.
• A fish is in your possession once you have caught and kept it. Your possession limit includes any fish you have kept that day plus any fish in storage from a previous day.
• Processed fish (e.g. pickled, smoked) still count towards your limit.
• Culling (page 20) is allowed in most waters except North Dakota border waters and Mille Lacs (except bass may be culled), until you reach your daily or possession limit.
• Once you reach your daily or possession limit for a species, you may keep fishing but all fish of that species must be immediately released and no culling is allowed. If fishing is good you may want to stay below your limit to accommodate keeping a deeply hooked, legal sized fish.

What are length limits?

Some waters have fish length restrictions, such as slot limits, minimum size limits, or 1-over the size limit. See page 20 for definitions.

You can’t possess any fish outside the legal length limits of the waters on which you are traveling or fishing, unless all of the following conditions are true: 1) The fish was legally taken from a connected waterbody or packaged by a licensed fish packer; 2) You are traveling back to your lodging or docking and taking the most direct route; and 3) You are not fishing while you are in transit.

What if I’ve caught fish on waters with size restrictions different from statewide regulations?

• Unless you are in the act of preparing the fish for a meal, any kept fish with size restrictions different than statewide regulations may not be filleted. Kept fish must still have their heads, tails, fins, and skin intact so they can be measured and counted. Carcasses count toward your possession limit until you dispose of them.
• You may eat legal sized fish while on the ice, docked, or moored to shore but you must retain the carcass including the head, dorsal fin, and tail. Any fish caught and eaten on the same day count toward your daily limit.

Can I give away fish that I’ve kept?

If you have kept a fish and want to transfer it as a gift, it must be accompanied by a receipt that must remain with the gift. The person receiving the gift can’t possess more than the statewide limit including your gift. The receipt must contain all of the following information:

• Name and address of the owner.
• Name and address of recipient.
• Date of transfer.
• Description of the gift (number and species).
• License number (DNR number or transaction number) under which the fish was taken.

Transportation

Can I transport live fish I caught (other than bait)?

No, fish being harvested may not be transported in enough water to keep them alive. You can't transfer live fish or fish eggs from one body of water to another.

What about fish for an aquarium?

If you are older than 16, you can transport live fish for display in a home aquarium only if you purchase the fish from an aquaculture licensee and have proof of purchase.

Youth age 16 and younger can legally transport certain live fish for display in a home aquarium if:

• They have legally caught the fish from among the following species: largemouth, smallmouth or rock bass; yellow perch; crappie; bluegill, pumpkinseed, green or orange-spotted sunfish; black, yellow, and brown bullhead.
• No more than 4 fish of each species are transported at any given time.
• All fish are 10" or less in length.
• Fish are not transported in water taken from any lake or stream. You must bring bottled or tap water for transport.

How do I prepare fish I’ve caught for transport?

• You must package and transport fish in such a way that they can be readily unwrapped, separated, identified and counted.
• A fish may not be cut into more than 2 fillets.
• If you are transporting lake sturgeon, muskellunge, catfish, splake or brook, brown and rainbow trout, you must transport them with the head and tail intact so the fish can be measured.
• Bullhead, sunfish and crappie may be filleted without leaving a patch of skin.
• Fillets from all other species must have a 1-inch square patch of skin with scales intact from a portion of the body other than the belly, unless they are packaged by a licensed fish packer.
• Sauger without head and tail intact will be counted as walleye unless they are packaged by a licensed fish packer.

One of the best ways to transport your fish so they can be counted and identified is in clear plastic freezer bags.

Fillets and dressed fish must show at least a 1-inch square patch of skin with scales so fish species can be identified.

See page 46-64 for waters with special or experimental regulations.

Other Species

Threatened and Endangered Species

You can’t take or possess any state-endangered or threatened species, including skipjack herring, crystal darter, pallid shiner, slender madtom, gravel chub, plains topminnow, black buffalo, pugnose shiner, paddlefish, Blanchard’s cricket frog, Blanding’s turtle, wood turtle, or endangered or threatened mussels, unless you have an endangered species permit.

Crayfish

Can I take my own crayfish?

Yes, people with a fishing license and children younger than 16 can take and possess up to 25 pounds of live crayfish for personal use. However, you cannot possess red swamp crayfish, as they are a prohibited invasive species (more details on page 15). A permit is needed to sell crayfish or take/possess more than 25 pounds of crayfish. More information can be found at mndnr.gov/fishing/commercial.

When can I take crayfish?

From April 1 to November 30. Traps may be left overnight but may only be tended from 1 hour before sunrise through 1 hour after sunset.

Where can I use crayfish as bait?

• Crayfish may not be used for bait in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway north or upstream of the St. Croix Boom Site boat launch, or within Voyageurs National Park.
• Except as noted above, preserved crayfish may be used in all waters of the state and live crayfish may only be used in the water where they were captured.

Frogs and Salamanders

Can I take my own frogs?

In most cases, yes:

• People with a fishing license and children younger than 16 can take, use, buy and sell an unlimited number of frogs up to 6" long for bait.
• A special frog license is required to take frogs for any purpose other than bait.
• You must have an endangered species permit to possess Blanchard’s cricket frogs.

When can I take frogs for bait?

From May 16 to March 31 the following year.

Can I release frogs or tadpoles?

No. Unused frogs or tadpoles can’t be released in any Minnesota water.43 General Regulations

Can I use salamanders (including mudpuppies) as bait?

No. Salamanders are protected wild animals and cannot be used as bait. Several salamander species including mudpuppies are species of special concern.

Mussels (Clams)

Can I take live mussels?

No. State law prohibits the harvest of live mussels. Of Minnesota's 51 native mussel species, 24 are endangered or threatened.

Can I take dead mussel shells?

People with a fishing license and children younger than 16 may hand-pick or possess up to 24 whole shells or 48 half shells from dead mussels of species that are not endangered or threatened.

• Shell collection is allowed from May 16 through the last day in February the following year.
• You can’t take mussel shells from the St. Croix River.
• You can’t possess zebra mussels.
• Mussel shells can’t be bought or sold.

Turtles

Can I take my own turtles?

People with a resident fishing license (or youth under 16) and recreational turtle license can take, possess and transport snapping and western painted turtles for personal use.

What kind of turtles can I take?

• Western painted: between 4 and 5½" in shell length, possession limit 3. Turtles used in turtle races may be any length greater than 4".
• Snapping: minimum size is 12" in shell length, possession limit is 3. Season is from July 1 through April 30 the following year.
• All other species of turtles may only be purchased from a commercial vendor.

What about turtle races?

Residents younger than 18 may take, possess, and rent up to 25 turtles for use in a non-profit turtle race. Each turtle must be greater than 4" in length.

How do you measure turtle shell length?

Measure the top shell length (the hard upper shell of the turtle) from above the neck to above the tail. The measuring device should measure a straight line above the curvature of the shell.

How can I take turtles?

You may use traditional angling gear, such as dip nets and hook and line. You may not use traps, commercial gear, firearms, bows, spears, impaling objects, explosives, drugs, poisons, lime or other harmful substances to take turtles.

Can I take turtle eggs?

A DNR permit is required to take turtle eggs.

Can I release turtles in Minnesota?

No. Unused or unwanted turtles can’t be released in any Minnesota water.

Where do I get a recreational turtle license?

Licenses can be purchased at any DNR license agent or online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense.44

Illegal Activities

• If you catch a fish (including native rough fish and common carp) and you don’t intend to use it for anything, you must return it immediately back into the water alive. You can’t waste a fish by discarding it, or any part of it, on the ice, on the bank, or into the water.
• You can’t dispose of any rubbish (including parts of fish or other animals), or chemicals into public waters, or on shore.
• You can’t deposit fish parts or other material (chum) into waters to attract fish.
• You can’t possess or transport white perch, ruffe, round goby, black carp, bighead carp, grass carp or silver carp, unless you are taking them to a DNR office. If you catch a black, bighead, grass or silver carp, see page 15.
• You can’t buy or sell game fish, native rough fish, whitefish, or cisco (tullibee) unless you buy the fish from a commercial, private hatchery, or aquatic farm licensee.
• You can't release bait (including worms) anywhere in Minnesota. All unwanted bait should be disposed of in the trash.

See page 16 for boat and trailer transport restrictions.

Permits

A Minnesota DNR permit is required to:

• Transplant aquatic plants, apply chemicals and perform certain types of cutting to control vegetation in any public water.
• Mark or tag fish and then release them.
• Harvest minnows from designated trout lakes or streams or from most infested waters.
• Conduct some fishing contests.

A permit from the county sheriff is required for most organized events on the water or ice, including fishing contests.

Find more information at mndnr.gov/permits or contact your regional Fisheries Office (page 98).