Wisconsin Making Big Change to Walleye Fishing Regulations Starting April 1st

Sunday, March 24th, 2024 -- 8:00 AM

(Royce Podeszwa, Wisconsin Public Radio) Wisconsin is adopting its biggest change to walleye fishing regulations since the 1940s. 

According to Royce Podeszwa with Wisconsin Public Radio, starting April 1, the state’s bag limit for the prized game fish will fall from five to three walleye per angler. State wildlife authorities are reducing the limit as studies show the species is struggling to adapt to sporadic, warming winters due to climate change.

Zach Feiner is a research scientist at the state Department of Natural Resources and at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Limnology. On WPR’s “The Morning Show,” Feiner said the state hopes lowering the number of fish caught can help walleye recover. “When thinking about how to deal with climate change… well, let’s control the things we can control,” he said.

“It’s hard to control the amount of carbon in your atmosphere if you’re at your lake. But when you’re fishing on your lake, you can control how many you keep, or you can manage the spawning habitat.” Feiner called walleye one of the “best studied” fish in the state.

A new research paper, which he co-authored, found the increasing unpredictability of Wisconsin’s winters and the warming climate are threatening the survival of young walleye in many Midwestern lakes.

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