Anglers should find favorable conditions, including for walleye, on Wisconsin inland fishing opener

Wisconsin's fishing season fits the description of a "soft open."

Some state waters are open year-round for most species, for example, and some species may be angled 365 days a year no matter where they are found.

But the first Saturday in May remains a date most anglers circle on their calendars and it features a spike in fishing activity. Why? It's the traditional opener for walleye and other game fish on Wisconsin's inland waters.

This year the start of the general inland season falls on May 4.

Anglers should expect good conditions when they take to the waters for the opener, according to Justine Hasz, fisheries director for the Department of Natural Resources.

"Our fisheries are in good stead across the state," Hasz said during a Tuesday media briefing to preview and promote the season.

The run-up to the inland opener has been anything but normal, however.

An abnormally mild winter led to ice coming off some Wisconsin waters the earliest in recorded history. Then a cold snap in March saw some northern waters ice over. The last several weeks have settled into a semblance of normal for spring in Wisconsin.

"So we've definitely seen some erratic weather and the fish really do react to that," Hasz said. "But now we are sitting here in late April and the fish are starting to get back on track and doing what they are supposed to be doing at this time of year."

Hasz said this year's timing for walleye activity should be especially good for the opener.

"We expect that by opening day, the majority of the walleyes in the state will have completed their spring spawning runs and they'll be very hungry," she said. "The females put a lot of energy into producing eggs over winter and once they've laid those eggs they're pretty hungry and want to put some weight on."

She even offered advice to walleye anglers on lures and tactics (the time-honored jig and minnow or jig and plastic tail) and made a prediction.

"Most anglers fishing in walleye waters should get rewarded with a bite or two of walleye on opening day," Hasz said.

With regard to panfish, a term to cover the most caught species in the state including bluegill, yellow perch, black crappie and pumkinseed sunfish, Hasz said anglers should also find good action. She suggested panfish anglers target areas of the lake with the warmest water and near areas of new aquatic plant growth.

The inland trout fishery, with about 13,000 miles of classified trout streams, and the Great Lakes, for species such as chinook and coho salmon, are also expected to provide very good fishing in 2024, Hasz said.

"Overall, no matter whether you are north, south, east or west, whether you are on the Great Lakes or on the Mississippi River, there's a place for everyone to go fishing right now, a location is just around the corner from where people live," Hasz said. "We expect fishing to be really solid for the whole year, but definitely as we go into the opening of the season."

License requirements for Wisconsin fishing season

Wisconsin residents and nonresidents age 16 and older must have a fishing license to fish in any waters of the state. An annual license costs $20 for residents. A $5 option is available for first-time buyers.

To buy a license, visit a sales outlet such as a sporting goods store or bait and tackle shop or visit gowild.wi.gov.

New regulations for 2024

The 2024-25 Wisconsin fishing regulation pamphlet includes 61 new regulations, including a three fish daily bag limit for walleyes on inland waters (it had been five).

The new rule pertains to walleyes and saugers or a combination of the species.

Outlying waters, including Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and the Mississippi River, are not affected by the change.

Another new regulation pertains to fishing tournaments. Effective this year, all fishing tournaments, regardless of size, must at least file an application for the event. Registration for many is free of charge.

There are also dozens of new rules specific to local waters, including reduced bag limits or slot size limits. Anglers are advised to carefully review the 2024-25 state fishing regulations pamphlet to be certain of rules on waters they plan to fish. Copies of the booklet may be downloaded at dnr.wi.gov or picked up at license sales outlets.

Catch-and-release recommendations

Many fisheries, including bass, muskellunge and trout, have benefitted from catch-and-release practices.

Anglers are advised to take care in their handling of fish to increase the odds it will survive after release.

The DNR offers these tips for anglers to successfully release fish: Land the fish as quickly as possible; keep the fish in the water as much as possible; handle the fish as little as possible and touch fish with wet hands or gloves; if the fish is deeply hooked, cut the line and let the fish go; treat the fish gently throughout the release.

Avoid transporting invasive species and diseases

Anglers are also reminded of rules and recommendations to help prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species and diseases.

State rules require anglers to remove plants and animals from their boat before and after launching, draining all water from compartments and never moving live fish away from any waterbody.

To prevent the spread of fish diseases, remove all water, aquatic vegetation and mud from fishing equipment before leaving their fishing location. All fishing equipment, including boats, trailers, boots, waders, nets and float tubes, should be thoroughly cleaned and dried completely before being used again, according to the DNR.

Wear a flotation device

Recreational safety specialists with the DNR and other agencies also remind anglers to follow safe boating procedures and always wear a life jacket. For boating safety tips, visit dnr.wi.gov.

Pick up trash

Anglers should leave the land and water cleaner than they found it. Be sure to pick-up and properly discard any fishing line, damaged lures or other trash.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin DNR expects good conditions for fishing season opener May 4