Here’s The Skinny On Fishing

Photo by Charles Chandler

The season is upon us and licenses are ready for purchase

The new fishing license and regulation season kicked off April 1, so anglers need to be sure they have purchased a new license in order to enjoy Michigan’s great fishing opportunities. The 2023 fishing licenses are valid through March 31, 2024.

Fishing licenses can be purchased at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses or by downloading the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app and purchasing via the app.

Michigan DNR Hunt Fish, an official app of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, gives you a mobile path to buy and store hunting, fishing, ORV and snowmobile licenses and permits, report harvests, access guides and digests, and get the latest outdoor recreation updates.
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Make future online fishing license purchases even quicker by selecting auto-renew at checkout to automatically receive licenses in the future.
2023 fishing seasons:

• The statewide trout opener and the Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons all open Saturday, April 29.
• In Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye and northern pike seasons open Monday, May 15.
• Michigan’s muskellunge possession season on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers opens Saturday, June 3. (Remember that catch-and-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year).
• The catch-and-immediate-release season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open all year on nearly all waters (unless otherwise closed to fishing – check the current Michigan Fishing Guide for specifics).
• The possession season for bass opens statewide Saturday, May 27, except for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and the Detroit rivers which open Saturday, June 17.

The 2023 Michigan Fishing Guide and Inland Trout & Salmon Maps are available online along with a lot of other helpful fishing information – including fishing locations, species identification and tips for beginners – at Michigan.gov/Fishing.

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