Michigan Fishing Compliance Checklist
Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). Fees verified for 2026. Generated by FishFig — informational only, not legal advice.
1 · What license do you need?
| Angler | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Resident | $26.00 |
| Non-resident | $76.00 |
Source: Michigan Department of Natural Resources — 2026 fishing license announcement (michigan.gov/DNRLicenses). (2026). Verify the exact product and any one-day or short-term options with the agency.
2 · Size & bag limits
| Species | Min size | Bag limit | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largemouth & Smallmouth Bass | — | 5 | MI DNR 2026 Fishing Guide (possession season opens late May; C&R all year on most waters). |
| Walleye | — | 5 | MI DNR 2026 Fishing Guide. |
3 · Required stamps & report cards
MI DNR 2026: resident annual all-species $26 (+$1 surcharge); nonresident $76 (+$1); senior (65+/legally blind) $11. License year Apr 1–Mar 31. Ages 17+ need a license.
4 · Legal citations
- MI DNR 2026 Fishing Guide (possession season opens late May; C&R all year on most waters).
- MI DNR 2026 Fishing Guide.
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources — 2026 fishing license announcement (michigan.gov/DNRLicenses). (2026)
5 · Who to contact
State agency & contact
Licenses, regulations, and stocking are set by the agency below. When FishFig can’t verify a figure, contact them directly.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). Verify every figure with the agency before purchasing a license, keeping fish, or relying on stocking data.
6 · Work the checklist in this order
Read the sections on this sheet in sequence, because each one can invalidate the one before it. The license comes first: without a current one, nothing else on the sheet matters. The limits come second, and they are statewide defaults. The stamps and report cards come third — a species endorsement or a harvest card can be required on top of the license, and holding the license alone does not satisfy it. The waterbody-specific rules come last, and they win: where a named lake, river section, or zone has its own size, slot, bag, or season rule, that rule replaces the statewide default on this sheet.
Two habits catch most of what a printed sheet cannot. Fill in the water you actually intend to fish before you leave, and check that specific water’s current regulation rather than relying on the statewide line. And photograph or write down the tag, date, and location of anything you keep that may fall under a reporting requirement — the obligation usually attaches to the fish, not to the license, so a fully licensed angler can still be out of compliance for failing to register a catch inside the window.
This sheet is deliberately narrow. It states the fees and statewide limits FishFig can attribute to a Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) publication, and it names the agency for everything else, rather than printing a number that may already be out of date. In-season closures, emergency orders, drawdowns, and special-regulation waters are published by the agency and are not tracked here.
7 · Limits, reporting and inspection rules tracked for Michigan
Every figure below is read from FishFig's verified Michigan data layer and names its source. Where a value could not be verified it reads "verify locally" rather than a placeholder number.
Size and bag limits tracked for Michigan
Michigan has 12 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Largemouth Bass, Muskellunge (Muskie) and Northern Pike, among 12 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Bluegill: bag 25; season Year-round. Citation: Michigan DNR — 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Hook & Line).
Brook Trout: bag 5 (combined all trout species, inland streams); season Inland streams: last Sat in Apr – Sep 30 (varies by stream type); year-round on Great Lakes. Citation: Michigan DNR — 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Hook & Line).
Brown Trout: bag 5 (combined all trout species, inland streams); season Inland streams: last Sat in Apr – Sep 30 (varies by stream type); year-round on Great Lakes. Citation: Michigan DNR — 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Hook & Line).
Channel Catfish: bag 5; season Year-round. Citation: Michigan DNR — 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Hook & Line).
Crappie: bag 25; season Year-round. Citation: Michigan DNR — 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Hook & Line).
Largemouth Bass: minimum length 14 in; bag 5 (combined largemouth & smallmouth); season Catch-and-release year-round; possession May 23 – Dec 31 (Jun 20 on Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River & Detroit River). Citation: Michigan DNR — 2026 Michigan Fishing Regulations (Hook & Line).
These are statewide general rules only. Slot limits, special-regulation waters, catch-and-release stretches, and zone-by-zone seasons override them — and a general rule that is absent from this list is not the same as no restriction. Confirm the rule for the exact water you are fishing with Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) before keeping a fish.
Mandatory harvest reporting in Michigan
Michigan requires mandatory harvest reporting or registration for specific species. The tracked rule set covers lake sturgeon/sturgeon and muskellunge/muskie.
Reporting window: Within 24 hours of harvest.. How to report: Online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or by phone at 888-636-7778. Registration CANNOT be done at hatcheries, field offices, or customer service centers.. Note: Black Lake sturgeon must be registered immediately on-site with DNR personnel during the limited season. Citation: Michigan DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations — Mandatory Harvest Registration (lake sturgeon).
Reporting window: Within 24 hours of harvest.. How to report: Online at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or by phone at 888-636-7778.. Citation: Michigan DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations — Mandatory Harvest Registration (muskellunge).
A reporting requirement usually attaches to the fish, not the license: you can be fully licensed and still be out of compliance for failing to register a tagged or sensitive species within the stated window. Record the tag number and the date before you leave the water.
Boat inspection and invasive species rules in Michigan
No statewide AIS stamp or universal inspection mandate for Michigan is tracked here, so this section states the baseline rule that applies everywhere rather than a state-specific one.
Michigan requires drain plugs to be removed/open during transport and prohibits releasing unused baitfish; no statewide AIS decal or pre-launch inspection is required (Clean, Drain, Dry). New boating/fishing laws under NREPA took effect March 21, 2026. Verify current AIS rules with Michigan DNR/EGLE before launching.
The baseline is not optional in practice. Water, mud, and plant fragments carried on a trailer or in a livewell are the main transport path for zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, and spiny water flea, and an inspection station can turn you around at the ramp. Clean, drain, and dry the hull, trailer, anchors, waders, and any livewell before you leave the water, and again before you launch somewhere new.
Citation: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes & Energy (EGLE) / DNR — michigan.gov/egle/newsroom/mi-environment/2026/06/25/michigan-boaters
Free fishing days in Michigan
Reported license-free dates for 2026: February 14–15 & June 13–14, 2026. Most states waive the license only, not the rules — size and bag limits, gear restrictions, seasons, and any required report card still apply, and some states still require a free or zero-cost license to be issued before you fish.
Reported for 2026 by public aggregators and may not match the official state schedule. Always confirm the current year’s dates and any species/stamp exceptions with the agency before planning.
Source: Compiled from 2026 public Free-Fishing-Day roundups (modefreefinds.com, heyitsfree.net, fishkillflea.com). Not an official source — verify with the state agency. (compiled 2026-08-29).
Always confirm current fees, seasons, and closures with Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) before fishing. This checklist is a planning aid and may not reflect in-season changes.