Michigan fishing limits 2026–27
Copied from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources 2026 regulation summaries. Deer and fall turkey dates are cross-checked against the DNR hunting season calendar. Every table links to the official source. If anything here disagrees with the Michigan DNR, the Michigan DNR is right.
Michigan season & rule alerts
Free email before Michigan seasons open and when the Michigan DNR changes a rule. No account.
General fishing regulations (statewide)
Statewide rules for warmwater species. Many waters have exceptions (by county, trout and salmon types, Great Lakes, border waters) — check the DNR guide before you keep fish. Muskellunge, lake sturgeon, cisco/whitefish and smelt rows are left out until verified by hand.
| Species | Daily bag | Min length | Max length |
|---|---|---|---|
Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass
| 5 in any combination | 14" | — |
Walleye
| 5 | 15" | — |
Northern Pike
| 2 | 24" | — |
Flathead Catfish
| 5 | 15" | — |
Channel Catfish
| 10 | 12" | — |
Yellow Perch
| 25 | No size limit | — |
Sunfishes
| 25 in any combination of the listed species | No size limit | — |
White Bass
| 25 on Gr. Lakes, L. St. Clair, St. Marys R., St. Clair R., and Detroit R. 10 on inland waters | No size limit | — |
All others
| No possession limit | No size limit | — |
Burbot
| 5 | No size limit | — |
Michigan DNR 2026 Fishing Regulations (PDF) 2026 (Apr 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2027) · official source ↗ · checked Oct 17, 2026
Lake water levels
Hunting? See Michigan hunting seasons 2026–27.