Northern Zone musky season opens May 25

MADISON – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds anglers the 2024 northern zone muskellunge (musky) season begins May 25 and runs through Dec. 31.

During the open season, anglers can catch musky on open waters within the northern muskellunge management zone. All regulations and license requirements apply.

Musky will likely be active in shallow vegetated bays, channels and on points just adjacent to shallow bays. Small bucktails, jerk baits, plastics and topwater can be effective baits.

This year, there is a new minimum length limit of 50 inches on several waterbodies in the northern management zone, including:

Wisconsin River from Lake DuBay Dam upstream to the first dam in Merrill, including Lake DuBay, Mosinee Flowage, Half Moon Lake, Lake Wausau and Wausau Dam Lake, and sloughs, bayous, flowages and tributaries upstream to the first dam or highway bridge (Lincoln, Marathon and Portage counties).Plum Lake (Vilas County).Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, Trude Lake, Bear River, Flambeau River upstream of Turtle-Flambeau Flowage at Murray’s Landing, Little Turtle River and Manitowish River upstream of the Flambeau River to the Rest Lake Dam, including Benson, Sturgeon and Vance lakes (Iron and Vilas counties).

Purchase your fishing license online through Go Wild or from a license vendor. Make sure to check the 2024-2025 Hook and Line Fishing Regulations for daily bag and size limits and special county regulations.

The DNR reminds anglers to have the proper release tools on hand (large landing net, long nose pliers, hook cutter and gloves) and to properly release the fish they catch. Find tips for releasing muskellunge responsibly on the DNR webpage.

Learn more about trophy musky waters and the elusive fish by visiting the DNR's musky webpage.