Michigan vs Wisconsin fishing license
For a visitor fishing fresh water for 3 days, Wisconsin is $1 cheaper than Michigan. For a visitor's annual fresh-water license, Wisconsin is $22 cheaper than Michigan. You need a license from age 17 in Michigan and from 16 in Wisconsin.
- Free
- Official sources first
- Checked monthly
- Independent, not a state website
What visitors pay
Cheapest way for an adult non-resident to cover the trip, including required stamps, worked out from each state's price list. The cheaper state is marked.
| Trip | Michigan | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh water | ||
| 1 day | $10 | $15 |
| 3 days | $30 | $29 |
| 7 days | $70 | $33 |
| 1 year | $77 | $55 |
| Residents, annual | ||
| Fresh water | $27 | $20 |
| Prices for | 2026-27 | 2026-27 |
Rules side by side
| Michigan | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|
| License needed from age | 17 | 16 |
| Senior residents | Senior resident annual fishing license: $12 (ages 65+) | Resident senior fishing license (65 and over): $7 (ages 65+) |
| Senior visitors | Normal visitor prices | Normal visitor prices |
| Required stamps | None | None |
| Next free fishing day | Feb 13–14, 2027 Jun 19–20, 2027 Not yet announced | Jan 16–17, 2027 Jun 5–6, 2027 Not yet announced |
| On a charter | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license | Yes: everyone who fishes needs their own license |
| License on your phone | Accepted | Accepted |
| Annual licenses last | To March 31 | To 03-31 |
| Last checked | Nov 4, 2026 | Nov 4, 2026 |
Full details and sources: Michigan fishing license · Wisconsin fishing license
Shared waters
Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters (Michigan rules)
On the Lake Michigan waters between the Menominee River breakwalls, the Menominee, Brule and Montreal rivers (with their sloughs and impoundments), and listed border lakes such as Lac Vieux Desert, the Cisco Chain and Stateline Lake, Michigan and Wisconsin residents may fish with their own state's resident license, and residents of other states may fish with a non-resident license from either state. Follow the rules of the state whose waters you are in. Secondary source: Michigan fishing regulations (eRegulations)
Limits for fish found in both states
Guide only. Statewide rules; many waters have their own. Check each state's official rules before you keep a fish.
| Fish | Michigan | Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Largemouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Smallmouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
Largemouth and smallmouth bass |
| Walleye |
15" minimum; bag 5 (Lower Peninsula inland waters; 2 more) |
Walleye, sauger and hybrids |
| Crappie |
Sunfish and crappie |
Panfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, crappie) |
| Catfish |
Channel catfish Flathead catfish |
Catfish Rock, white and yellow bass, and bullheads |
| Northern pike |
24" minimum; bag 2 |
Varies by water; check the DNR lake lookup; bag 5 total (North of US Highway 10; 1 more) |
| Yellow perch |
No minimum; bag 25 (Statewide; 1 more) |
Panfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow perch, crappie) |
| Muskellunge (muskie) |
Muskellunge |
Muskellunge and hybrids |
Questions
Is a Michigan fishing license valid in Wisconsin?
No. Each state needs its own license, except on shared waters covered by a border agreement: Michigan-Wisconsin boundary waters.
Which is cheaper for visitors, Michigan or Wisconsin?
1 day (fresh water): Michigan $10, Wisconsin $15. 1 year (fresh water): Michigan $77, Wisconsin $55.
At what age do you need a fishing license in Michigan and Wisconsin?
You need a license from age 17 in Michigan and from 16 in Wisconsin.