Madison – Wisconsin residents and visitors who have not yet purchased annual fishing licenses can fish for free during the annual Free Fishing Weekend on June 1-2. Anglers do not need a fishing license or trout stamp for this weekend, but must comply with all fishing regulations, including size limits and bag limits.
“Even if you don’t have fishing equipment, you can still get involved. The DNR operates rentals throughout the state and hosts events to help you make the most of Wisconsin waters,” said Justine Hasz, director of the DNR Office of Fishery Management.
All visitors to 50 state parks, 15 state forests and 44 state trails are exempt from state park entrance fees and trail passes.
Are you just starting to fish? Check out free clinics at state and local facilities on the website Calendar of events on the DNR website.
MORE COVERAGE FROM WISCONSIN OUTDOOR NEWS:
Northern Wisconsin deer herd: Hunters say Bayfield counties once offered “fantastic” deer hunting
Wisconsin Outdoor News begins a series examining deer herd problems in northern counties
L. Michigan Whitefish Rules Meeting, May 29
Madison – The DNR and the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, May 29, at 6 p.m., at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland to discuss rules governing the whitefish trawl fishery in Lake Michigan.
Participate virtually or in person to learn about DNR’s onboard camera monitoring efforts over the past four years and discuss proposed changes for 2026. Currently, the rule allows commercial trawling in designated areas using an onboard camera system and a special trawl at certain times of the year. season. Join via Microsoft Teams (meeting ID 294 930 549 229, password 8FPu48).
Turkey hunters are ahead of the 2023 harvest, with the sixth season still winding down
Madison — As of May 22, Wisconsin turkey hunters have called or logged registrations for 45,939 bearded birds. Hunters registered 43,439 turkeys during the 2023 spring season, an raise of 9% over 2022 and 6% above the 10-year average. The state’s spring turkey harvest record was set in 2008 with 52,880 birds recorded.
Through May 22, hunters from Zone 1 recorded the most birds with 12,608. Next were hunters from Zone 3 with 11,583, and hunters from Zone 2 with 9,760.
In zones 1 and 3, no remaining turkey tags have been sold out. On the morning of May 23, the second day of the sixth week-long turkey season, Zone 1 had 3,230 tags from season five unsold and 9,891 tags still available for season six. There are 2,267 unsold season five tags remaining in Zone 3 and 8,120 remaining tags from the previous season.
The next Hunter Nation Predator board meeting will be June 18 in Medford
Medford, Wisconsin – The next Hunter Nation Predator Management Forum will be held on Tuesday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Simek Event Center, 1037 West Broadway Ave. in Medford. Hunter Nation Founder and CEO Keith Mark and local elected officials will be available to discuss state and federal level obstacles to removing the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list. For information call Chris Vaughan at (608) 719-8475.
Hayward Fishing Hall of Fame opens fresh playground and garden
Hayward, Wis. – Parents and grandparents who visit the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame this summer will find a fresh playground for their children and grandchildren.
The purchase of fresh playground equipment was made possible in part by a $5,233 donation from the 39th Annual Treeland Challenge Fishing Tournament. Hall of Fame Treasurer Tom Turngren accepted a check from Tatum Treeland on May 12.
Treeland’s donation reinforced an earlier donation of $3,500 for a fresh playground from the Lake Chippewa Flowage Resort Association. Hall of Fame Executive Director Emmett Brown thanked both organizations for their donations.
“Preparations for the construction of the playground have been completed and new equipment has been ordered. “We hope to have the playground ready for use in early June when our family vacationers begin visiting,” said Brown, who also said the fresh Hall of Fame garden design has been completed and planting will be completed by the end of May.
Minnesota Sets New Turkey Harvest Record
St. Paul – Minnesota set a fresh harvest record during the fourth of six hunting seasons in the state when turkey hunters recorded 14,472 birds as of May 14, according to preliminary harvest reports. The previous record was 13,996 and was set in 2020.
The sixth season in Minnesota started on May 22 and will last until May 31.
“It’s great to see such a high harvest this year,” said Nate Huck, Minnesota DNR game bird specialist. “There is no doubt that nesting efforts in 2022 have been enormous, with many two-year-old birds dotting the landscape.”
Huck added that the reason for so much success this season may be due to the distribution of the volumes. During harsh winters, turkeys survive in larger flocks. The 2023-2024 winter featured little snow and ice, which allowed turkeys to spread across the landscape, perhaps allowing more hunters to find turkeys in more areas.
Indiana discovers first case of CWD
Bloomington, Indiana – The Indiana State DNR has confirmed the state’s first positive case of CWD detected in LaGrange County. According to the Indiana DNR, this positive case is adjacent to a region where CWD has previously been detected in Michigan. CWD has been detected in wild deer in 33 states, including all states bordering Indiana.
Since CWD was detected in Michigan near the Indiana border, it was highly likely to be found in this area of Indiana. The DNR will continue to monitor the area for CWD.
The Indiana deer was a buck taken by a hunter and tested positive for CWD on two independent tests.
