Minnesota Fishing Compliance Checklist
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR). Fees verified for 2026. Generated by FishFig — informational only, not legal advice.
1 · What license do you need?
| Angler | Annual fee |
|---|---|
| Resident | $25.00 |
| Non-resident | $51.00 |
Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — 2026 fishing license fees (mn.gov/dnr). (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 | — | 6 | MN DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations. |
| Walleye | — | 6 | MN DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations (special limits on some waters). |
3 · Required stamps & report cards
MN DNR 2026: resident individual angling $25; nonresident $51. License year Mar 1–Feb 28. Trout/salmon stamp ($10) required for designated trout waters and Lake Superior.
4 · Legal citations
- MN DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations.
- MN DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations (special limits on some waters).
- Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — 2026 fishing license fees (mn.gov/dnr). (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.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR)
FishFig is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR). 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 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) 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 Minnesota
Every figure below is read from FishFig's verified Minnesota 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 Minnesota
Minnesota has 13 statewide limits resolved in this tool — Bluegill, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Channel Catfish, Crappie, Flathead Catfish, Largemouth Bass and Muskellunge (Muskie), among 13 in the tracked set. Each entry below carries the agency citation it came from.
Bluegill: bag 20 (sunfish aggregate); season Year-round; Quality-sunfish waters use reduced limits.. Citation: Minnesota DNR — 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations (Minn. R. 6262.0200).
Brook Trout: bag 5 (combined trout); season Streams: 2nd Sat Apr – Sep 30; lakes: open periods (varies). Citation: Minnesota DNR — 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations (Minn. R. 6262.0200).
Brown Trout: bag 5 (combined trout); season Streams: 2nd Sat Apr – Sep 30; lakes: open periods (varies). Citation: Minnesota DNR — 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations (Minn. R. 6262.0200).
Channel Catfish: bag 5 (combined with flathead; no more than 1 over 24 in); season Year-round. Citation: Minnesota DNR — 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations (Minn. R. 6262.0200).
Crappie: bag 10; season Year-round; Many lakes use 5-fish special limits.. Citation: Minnesota DNR — 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations (Minn. R. 6262.0200).
Flathead Catfish: bag 5 (combined with channel; no more than 1 over 24 in); season Year-round. Citation: Minnesota DNR — 2026 Minnesota Fishing Regulations (Minn. R. 6262.0200).
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 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) before keeping a fish.
Mandatory harvest reporting in Minnesota
Minnesota requires mandatory harvest reporting or registration for specific species. The tracked rule set covers Lake Sturgeon.
Reporting window: Register within 48 hours of capture.. How to report: To harvest, angler must have a sturgeon tag/endorsement; a kept fish must be immediately tagged/endorsed by the angler and registered with the MN DNR within 48 hours of capture. One fish per calendar year; legal size 45-50 inches inclusive or over 75 inches. Tag/endorse immediately; register via MN DNR.. Citation: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Lake Sturgeon Regulations (https://mndnr.gov/fishing)
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 Minnesota
Minnesota has a tracked aquatic-invasive-species requirement for boaters: AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) Rules Decal.
Fee or cost: Minn. Stat. 86B.135: $10 motorized watercraft under 26 ft licensed in state; $20 motorized watercraft licensed in another state; $5 nonmotorized under 26 ft (state); $10 nonmotorized out-of-state; $15 for watercraft 26 ft or greater. Valid Jan 1-Dec 31..
Inspection: Clean all aquatic plants/invasive species from watercraft/trailers before leaving; drain all water-related equipment and remove drain plugs before leaving shoreland..
Education requirement: AIS affirmation acknowledging educational information required at purchase..
Practice Clean, Drain, Dry between waters. Confirm current AIS rules with the state agency before launching.
Citation: Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes - Minnesota Statutes 86B.508 & 86B.135 Aquatic Invasive Species Rules Decal (https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2011/cite/86B.508)
Free fishing days in Minnesota
Reported license-free dates for 2026: Minnesota residents fish free in most state parks year-round. 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 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) before fishing. This checklist is a planning aid and may not reflect in-season changes.