What if people are fishing together from a boat or on shore?

A party is two or more people fishing together from a single watercraft or on shore
while maintaining unaided visual and vocal contact.
The number of fish your party possesses can’t be more than the combined limits of all
party members. However, you can only transport your individual limit of fish.
What fishing methods are illegal?
• Intentionally fishing for a species during its closed season.
• Using an artificial light to lure, attract or spot fish. However, you may use a lighted
artificial lure. Batteries used in lighted fishing lures must not contain mercury.
• Leaving your fishing rod or any type of line with hooks attached unattended.
• Using explosives, firearms, chemicals (not including a scented bait), spring devices
or electricity to take fish.
• Taking fish by hand (noodling) or by snagging.

POSSESSION

How many fish can I keep?
• Your daily and possession limits are the same unless otherwise noted.
• A fish is in your possession once you have caught and kept it. Your possession limit
includes any fish you have kept that day plus any fish in storage from a previous
day.
• Once you reach your daily or possession limit of fish, you can’t release fish already
caught and kept and replace them with other fish. See culling definition on page 10.
• While fishing on Mille Lacs Lake or North Dakota border waters, you may not
release fish already caught and kept and replace them with other fish even before
you reach your daily or possession limit

What are length limits?

Some waters have fish length restrictions, such as slot limits, that require fish to be
immediately released if they are not within a certain size range. There also can be
maximum size limits or minimum size limits.
You can’t possess any fish outside the legal length limits of the waters on which you are
traveling or fishing. However, you may possess fish outside the legal length limits if all
of the following conditions are true:
• The fish was legally taken from a connected water body or packaged by a licensed
fish packer;
• You are traveling back to your lodging or docking and taking the most direct route;
and
• You are not fishing while you are in transit.
What if I’ve caught fish on waters with size restrictions different from
statewide regulations?
If you are on or fishing in waters with size restrictions that are different from the
statewide size restrictions, all of the fish that have size restrictions must be kept so that
they can be examined, measured and counted. The fish must have their heads, tails, fins
and skin intact and be measurable.
When I’m on waters with size restrictions different from statewide regulations,
can I eat fish that I caught and kept?
You may do so if:
• If you are on the ice, docked or moored to shore, and you are in the act of
preparing and using the fish for a meal, you can fillet the fish but must retain the
intact carcass, which must contain the head, dorsal fin and tail.
• You also may prepare a meal of fish using fillets packaged by a licensed fish packer.
• Any fish caught and eaten on the same day count toward your daily bag limit.
Can I give away fish that I’ve kept?
If you have kept a fish and want to transfer it as a gift, it must be accompanied by a
receipt that must remain with the gift. The person receiving the gift can’t possess
more than the statewide limit including your gift. The receipt must contain all of the
following information:
• Name and address of the owner.
• Name and address of recipient.
• Date of transfer.
• Description of the gift.
• License number (DNR number or transaction number) under which the
fish was taken.