Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By RALPH ANSAMI
MADISON, Wis. — Saxon Harbor fishermen will see an increase in the lake trout bag limit in an emergency rule that was approved Wednesday by the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board.
The rule includes a daily bag limit of three lake trout. It was developed through extensive public input, including an online survey, at least three controversial public meetings this fall, as well as written comments, said Terry Margenau, DNR Lake Superior fisheries supervisor.
The rule establishes a Lake Superior recreational daily harvest limit east of Bark Point (WI-2) at two fish between 20 and 25 inches and one fish greater than 40 inches.
For the past summer, the limit was one laker between 20 and 25 inches and one over 40 inches, a rarity,
The emergency rule is designed to preserve a sustainable lake trout harvest in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior and addresses both commercial and recreational harvest limits.
Population assessments over the last six to eight years indicate a decline in lake trout abundance.
The new rule will be sent to Gov. Scott Walker for review and approval before it takes effect.
If the recreational lake trout harvest reaches 7,350, or 75 percent of the allowable recreational harvest of 9,800 fish, the fishery would then transition to catch and release only for the remainder of the season, which ends Sept. 30, according to the DNR.
For waters west of Bark Point (WI-1), the three-fish daily bag limit includes a 15-inch minimum size limit and only one fish greater than 25 inches. Bag limits in the waters west of Bark Point will not be affected by the 75 percent trigger, Margenau said.
The new rule also separates lake trout from other trout species for clarification. The change will allow sport anglers to harvest five trout, in addition to their lake trout bag.
“While lake trout were formerly part of the five-trout bag limit, the new rule will allow an angler the potential to harvest, for example, five brown trout plus their bag of lake trout,” Margenau said. That applies to both WI-1 and WI-2 waters of Lake Superior.
The rule also revises harvests for commercial fishers and prohibits previously allowed fishing in the Gull Island refuge. Because of agreements among the parties in the Lake Superior fishing agreement, however the rule also removes restrictions from the Hagen’s Beach area, opening that area to commercial fishing between June 1 and Aug. 31.
The recreational lake trout season runs from Dec. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016.
The commercial season runs from Nov. 28, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016.
