Statement of Scope - FH-21-24 - Lake Michigan Lake Trout Commercial Harvest and Regulations

Sep 11, 2026

Statement of Scope outlines a permanent Wisconsin rule for Department of Natural Resources, Rule No. FH-21-24, addressing regulations tied to establishing a commercial bycatch fishery for lake trout in Lake Michigan waters. It specifies the proposed rule objectives and potential topics, including management zones, restricted areas, season dates, size limits, total allowable catch (TAC), TAC allocation among commercial and recreational fisheries and individual fishers, tagging and reporting requirements, and possible sport regulation updates. Background explains rehabilitation history, sea lamprey control, stocking, mortality reduction, and why remaining goals are unmet.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Statement of Scope

Rule overview and emergency status

Objectives and proposed regulatory details

Rehabilitation context and TAC background

Docusign Envelope ID: 17C4FF8B-DE93-4FDC-BF5F-1F17202A800A STATEMENT OF SCOPE Department of Natural Resources Rule No.: FH-21-24 Relating to: NR 25, Establishing a Lake Michigan lake trout commercial harvest and associated regulations and NR 20, lake trout harvest, bag limits, and season Rule Type: Permanent 1. Finding/nature of emergency (Emergency Rule only): This will be a permanent rule. 2. Detailed description of the objective of the proposed rule: This rule will primarily seek to establish a commercial bycatch fishery for lake trout in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan as part ofLake Whitefish fishing. Topics which may be addressed as part of this rulemaking include but are not limited to: lake trout management zones; locations where harvest may or may not occur, such as restricted fishing areas and refuges; season dates; size limits; total allowable catch (TAC) of lake trout; allocations ofthe TAC between the commercial and recreational fisheries; allocation of the TAC between individual commercial fishers; tagging requirements; reporting requirements; and potential lake trout tag transfers. This rule may additionally update lake trout sport fishery regulations, as needed, including individual bag limits, and sport fishing seasons. The rule may include a sunset date. Additionally, rule changes that are reasonably related to those discussed in this scope statement may be included. Lake Michigan lake trout Total Allowable Catch and harvest regulations Lake trout are a critical component of a diverse Lake Michigan fishery, and have been the focus of significant, cooperative rehabilitation efforts since the 1950s, when lake trout neared the point of extinction. Commercial fishing for lake trout in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan dates back to at least the late 1880s, with stable harvest from 1915-1945. After 1945, lake trout populations collapsed due to the invasion of sea lamprey and overfishing. This led to a substantial decline in sport and commercial harvest. No commercial lake trout fisheries have existed in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan since the 1960s. A sport fishery currently exists, with past and current limitations to reduce mortality on lake trout, including a total allowable catch, individual bag limits, season closures, and area restrictions. Establishing a self-sustaining population of lake trout has been identified as a priority for Lake Michigan on a lake-wide scale. Lake trout rehabilitation is ongoing and achieved through cooperation and collaboration of numerous federal, state and tribal governments and academic entities organized through the Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries and the Great Lakes Fishery Docusign Envelope ID: 17C4FF8B-DE93-4FDC-BF5F-1F17202A800A Commission. Wisconsin is a signatory to the Joint Strategic Plan and actively participates in multijurisdictional collaboratives. The three main activities actively being implemented in Lake Michigan for lake trout rehabilitation are sea lamprey control, lake trout stocking, and control of lake trout mortality. Through rehabilitation efforts, the lake trout populations have begun to recover, with some successful, albeit limited, natural reproduction occurring in portions of Wisconsin waters. The Lake Trout Working Group, operating under the direction of the Lake Michigan Technical Committee, coordinates lake-wide surveys to monitor the status of lake trout populations and utilizes various data inputs in the recently completed Lake Michigan Lake Trout statistical catch-at-age (SCAA) model (e.g., WI345 model is specific to Wisconsin waters) to manage current lake trout populations. The TAC for the sport fishery is currently generated under this new model framework. Despite these efforts, data demonstrates many lake-wide lake trout rehabilitation goals remain unmet. Some areas of the lake are farther along in restoring lake trout than others, and the limited natural reproducti

FAQs

What is the purpose of Rule FH-21-24?

It establishes a commercial bycatch fishery for lake trout in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan and relates to associated lake trout harvest regulations, including bag limits and season requirements.

Which regulatory elements may be addressed in the rulemaking?

The scope includes management zones, restricted fishing areas and refuges, season dates, size limits, TAC and its allocations, tagging and reporting requirements, and potential tag transfers, plus possible updates to sport fishery regulations.

Why are commercial lake trout regulations being reconsidered?

Rehabilitation efforts have improved lake trout populations, but goals for a self-sustaining population remain unmet. The Commercial Fishing Board has requested allocating a portion of the sport TAC for commercial fishing while considering rehabilitation and fishery impacts.

Sep 11, 2026

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