DNR Question and answers

You ask legitimate questions and our Local DNR Warden will do his best to answer the question you have.

Simply click on Ryan's name and send him an e-mail he will answer you as soon as he can and also have NEWGLSF post the question along with the answer for others to see.

Ryan Volenberg

Q&A

Q: Do I need a fishing license to net suckers?

A: No. State law reads, "No fishing license is required for any resident to set, place or use any landing net, dip net, minnow seine or minnow dip net in order to fish for fish other than game fish."

However, current (as of 4/4/08) VHS regulations prohibit the collection of minnows from any VHS infected waters, including Lake Michigan and it's tributaries up to the first barrier impassible by fish. Harvest of suckers is exempt from this rule as suckers are classified as both a minnow and a rough fish. It is still legal to harvest rough fish by net while following all the other netting regulations (see below). Other popular rough fish include rainbow smelt and alewife. Harvest of these fish by dip nets is still legal, however, it is illegal to transport these fish away from the water body they were collected from unless they are dead.

Q: What netting methods are legal for use on Lake Michigan and its tributaries?

A: Currently, it is legal to use a dip net and/or a seine on Lake Michigan to harvest rough fish. There is a continuous season for dip netting on Lake Michigan. The open season for using seines on Lake Michigan is April 1st to May 25th.

As far as Lake Michigan tributaries go, seines are not allowed. However, it is legal to use dip nets. Dip nets can be used year-round including at night except during the time period of September 15th to December 31st when fishing by any method is prohibited from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise. It is also illegal to fish by any means other than hook and line within 500 feet of a dam.

In addition, no person may do any of the following:

Set, use or operate more than one dip net.
Set, use or operate a dip net in any manner other than by raising and lowering it vertically while fishing.
Fish in any other manner while operating a dip net or seine.
Fish with hook and line from any boat while in possession of a dip net.
Leave a dip net or seine unattended within 25 feet of the edge of the water.
Sell, barter or trade in any manner any sucker taken with a dip net or seine.

The definition of a dip net is "a piece of netting suspended from a round or square frame that does not exceed 8 feet in diameter or 8 feet square".

Q: I was on a charter last year and the Captain said he had to leave the skin on the fish so I could transport them home legally. Is this true ?

A: Yes, your captain was correct. State law reads, "All fish that are subject to a minimum size limit and are taken by hook and line may be transported with the head or tail, or both, removed and may be filleted before being transported, but only if the dressed or filleted fish continues to meet the minimum size limit. A dressed fish shall remain in one piece with the skin and scales intact. The skin and scales shall remain on a filleted fish."

This prevents anglers from skinning and/or chunking their fish prior to transportation. However, once an angler returns to his/her residence they may remove the skin and scales and cut their fish up however they may wish.

The purpose of this law is to prevent the harvest of undersized fish and to make it easier for wardens to identify and count an angler's fish to assure compliance with the bag and possession limits.

Q: Would a 1" X 1" square of skin and scales left on the filet satisfy the legal requirement?
A: No. One would have to leave the entire length of skin and scales attached. However, it would be permissible to skin the fish down to the last inch or so, leaving the entire length of skin and scales attached to the meat by only the last inch or so. This would allow the angler to then easily remove the last little bit of skin attached to the meat when they arrived home.

Q: Can a land owner give or can one assume landowner preference for turkey drawings from the land owner?

A: Up to 30% of turkey permits in each turkey management unit are set aside for qualified resident landowners. These landowners receive first preference for the issuance of permits. Second preference goes to those who have a preference point from the previous year in which they were unsuccessful in drawing a permit. Third preference goes to all other resident applicants. Fourth preference goes to non-resident landowners. And lastly, fifth preference goes to all other non-resident applicants.

State statue reads, "A qualified resident landowner may assign his or her eligibility to apply for a wild turkey hunting license under this paragraph as a qualified resident landowner to a family member, to an operator, to a family member of the operator, or to a minor."

A family member is defined as, "a person who is related to another person as a parent, child, spouse or sibling."
An operator is defined as, "a resident who is residing on a parcel of land under a rental agreement, lease, agreement or contract and who is engaged in farm activities or other operations on the land."

To be a qualified landowner, one must be a resident landowner who owns at least 50 acres in one parcel in an established wild turkey hunting zone. If more than one individual is the landowner of a single parcel of land, only one individual may be considered a qualified resident landowner.

Ryan Volenberg