A new catch-and-immediate-release fishing opportunity for lake sturgeon has been added for a section of the Menominee River. It will run from the first Saturday in June through the first Sunday in March. (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Anglers are reminded to review the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations to learn new rules approved by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission for the 2026 season.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has highlighted a few of them:

Menominee River

A new catch-and-immediate-release fishing opportunity for lake sturgeon has been added to the Menominee River — from Grand Rapids Dam to the Sturgeon Falls Dam — from the first Saturday in June through the first Sunday in March. For more information, check pages 15 and 25 of the Michigan Fishing Regulations.

Lake Superior

Stannard Rock and Big Reef are now under new daily possession limits of one lake trout or splake (combined) in the areas defined on pages 9 and 20-21 of the Michigan Fishing Regulations.

Slot limit lakes

Lake Independence and Teal Lake in Marquette County are under new walleye regulations: the minimum size limit is 15 inches, and all walleye 18-23 inches, now protected from harvest, must be released. The daily possession limit is five walleye, with no more than one greater than 23 inches allowed per day. More information can be found on page 13 of the Michigan Fishing Regulations.

Burbot limit

A possession limit of five per day has been placed on burbot. Find more information on page 12 of the Michigan Fishing Regulations.

Bead fishing

Use of a bead fished on the hook or pegged or attached to the line no further than 4 inches above the eye of a single-pointed hook has been defined as an artificial lure for clarification purposes. For more information, see page 8 of the Michigan Fishing Regulations.

Spearfishing

Additional Great Lakes waters are now open to underwater spearfishing, with some exclusions. Monthly reporting is no longer required; however, anglers must still obtain a free license. See pages 16-17 of the Michigan Fishing Regulations for more specific information. (Please note that the print version of the 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations incorrectly listed the Lake Michigan southern boundary text as “waters north of the MI/WI border” (page 16); this should be “waters north of the MI/IN border” and has been corrected in the digital version of the regulations).

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Wisconsin’s inland trout season opens today, one month earlier than prior seasons. The change is meant to increase harvest opportunities throughout the state’s inland streams, springs and spring ponds.

The earlier opener does not apply to inland lakes and ponds. For those waters, the traditional first Saturday in May opener still applies.

Anglers will need a 2026-2027 general fishing license and inland trout stamp, which are both valid until March 31, 2027, and can be purchased through Go Wild or at an in-person license sales location.

The Department of Natural Resources also reminds anglers that there have been some changes to the trout daily bag and length limits this year. Consult the Guide to Wisconsin’s 2026-2027 Trout Fishing Regulations for specifics.

No changes have been made to the trout season dates or bag limits on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Green Bay or Green Bay tributaries.

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The Wisconsin DNR and the state’s Citizen Deer Advisory Councils are seeking public feedback on Wisconsin’s deer management, including harvest quotas, season structure and more ahead of the 2026 deer season.

A survey link is now available on the Citizen Deer Advisory Council webpage at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Hunt/cdac and will remain open through April 12.

Citizen Deer Advisory Council meetings will take place across the state from April 20 through April 30.

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The Michigan DNR reported this U.P. activity:

Little Bay de Noc: Ice conditions continued to hold in the upper bay despite the warm temperatures. Anglers reported shoreline ice deterioration but were still able to get on the ice without much of an issue. They reported slow perch fishing, with low catch numbers but some large fish. Overall, fishing was very slow, with most anglers having single-digit harvests or fewer. Those fishing in shallower regions of the bay saw fish but caught only a few. Anglers fishing in deeper water reported marking fish, although less frequently than in shallow areas. Wigglers and small bug presentations were reported to be the most productive.

Munising: The coho salmon bite remained steady for anglers this past week. Anglers reported a fair perch bite. There were some nice splake and herring caught in the bay along with a lot of smelt. Anglers targeting Burbot at night reported good success. Popular baits were wax worms and minnows.

Keweenaw Bay: Anglers reported good numbers of coho salmon and cisco caught. Anglers targeting lake trout had mixed results. Anglers also reported success targeting smelt both during the day and at night. The night bite for burbot was good, with many larger fish taken in the last week. Whitefish anglers reported a better bite as well.

Marquette: The past week was slow for fishing in all areas due to icy conditions on Lake Superior along the breakwall and river mouths. A few coho salmon were caught on the break wall on days when the ice allowed anglers to cast into the lake. This occurred when the sun came out and some of the ice melted.

The Carp River was a little too shallow and icy early in the week, but as it warmed up, there was more area to cast. A few anglers who ventured out onto the ice on the Carp River caught some coho salmon using floating spawn bags. If the mouth of the river was not producing, anglers were advised to move farther up the river, as a few fish were reported farther upstream past the prison.

The Chocolay River ran slowly this week since water levels had dropped. The only good action reported came from kayakers fishing upriver.