Lake Wisconsin

Gillespie that is correct. My dad doesn't waste any bait he pays for, so last year he was fishing the Oconto River after March 15th when Green Bay perch season closes and fishing for northern with his leftover crappie minnows. DNR hassled him for it but my dad showed him his cooler with 2 northern in it, but continued to watch him and warm him that if he kept catching perch that he'd fine him for fishing perch out of season. Who fishes northern with crappie minnows? My dad! He did catch a couple of perch but that was not his intended target that day so the warden didn't do anything about it. I fish the early season catch and release bass season and what I hate about it is I catch other species of fish while bass fishing. Some days I catch more northern than bass, but I can't help it the other fish bite too. Wish in some ways they'd just make it catch and release season for all gamefish cause it's hard to tell the walleyes and northern not to bite my lure, lol!

Agree FLM. But it probably also depends on your gear, location, and fishing method.  If you show up fishing with heavy sturgeon gear, out of season, in a known sturgeon hole, and don't take action to change how you are catching a species out of season, you'll probably have some splaining to do!

DNR officer's discretion, I believe, whether or not to issue a citation regarding any of the rules.  I've been told it's ok to take a fish out of the water, photo then release.  The DNR certainly does not want a fish to have a hook in its mouth still and have you cut the line, so how else are you going to get the hook out of its mouth?  Personally I'm not going to try and take the hook out of its mouth while the fish is still in the water.  I lost a rod one time trying to do that, so the fish not only got my hook but my entire setup!

You guys talking about daily limits with the new 'per lake' limit seemed to be correct.  Then there's the possession limit, which generally is twice the daily limit.  So if you have 6 walleyes at home in freezer.  Taking home more than 4 would be a violation.

Shurfly, you are correct.  Protected fish must be immediately released.  Holding a fish out of the water
for a photo is not immediate release and i have witnessed citations for doing so.  

Mason 2023, isn’t sturgeon season in September?  If I’m correct you can get in a lot of trouble posting these pictures the DNR are very aggressive in enforcing this. .  Even if accidentally hooking into a sturgeon in the off season you are not allowed to remove them from the water.  I may be wrong And not ​trying to be a Karen here. 
But no matter what Those are some great fish and must of been a thrill to reel in. 

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Thanks Lund!

Madchem.  Think of it as an inland waters daily limit with no more than three fish taken on any one body of water. If you catch 3 fish (walleyes) on lake WI and or the river you’re done on lake WI but you could go to another lake and catch 2 more to fill your daily limit of five.  The only exception is boundary waters like the mississippi that shares a border with another state. They left those waters at 5 because the border states have higher limits.  The other thing to consider is the regulations regarding transporting fish from one body of water to another if you’re going to fish multiple lakes to get a 5 fish limit. Now you will have to be able to prove where you caught those other fish.  If this is still confusing, give the DNR a call.  They have been getting a lot of calls about the new limits.  I hope this helps. 

3 walleye starting April 1 

Still confused about this new limit.  If you are fishing Lake WI it is also technically the WI river.  How does the 3 vs 5 apply if you are fishing Lake WI?

Any chance of shore fishing luck at the grade this early?

Good News ! The pier is in at The Grade .

Anyone know if the pier is in on sunset launch? 

GU 5 is correct. I also called the DNR for clarification this morning and that is exactly what I was told.  The other exception I would point out is the boundary waters between states where it was left at 5 for rivers and flowages because the bordering states have more liberal bag limits. The 6 page regulation guide, not the full guide, has more specific information for all changes per body of water.