Michigan Fishing License

Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

Contact

Address: Department of Natural Resources, Executive Division, P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, MI 48909
Main DNR line: 517-284-6367
Michigan Relay (accessibility): 711
Email: DNR-Fisheries@Michigan.gov
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-5pm ET
Website: michigan.gov/dnr

Buy a licence Read the regulations

At a glance

Licences and permits: 10
Of which specialty: 2
Cheapest listed licence: $2.00
Free fishing days: Winter Free Fishing Weekend February 14-15, 2026 and Summer Free Fishing Weekend June 13-14, 2026. Fishing license fees and the Recreation Passport entry requirement are both waived on those days.
Fees verified: 4 Sep 2026

Who does not need one

Anglers age 16 and younger may fish without a license (the $2 Voluntary Youth license is optional). Free licenses are available to Michigan veterans rated 100% disabled, active-duty military, and individuals with developmental disabilities as defined by Michigan law.

Specialty licences 2

Extra items an angler must hold on top of the base licence. These are the ones most often missed — a base licence alone does not cover them.

Licence	Type	Who needs it	Applies to	Fee
Underwater Spearfishing LicenseNo cost, but a DNR Sportcard ($1) may be needed to be issued the credential.	Endorsement	Anglers taking fish by underwater spearfishing	Any · annual · all	Freestill required
DNR SportcardNot a fishing license by itself; it is the customer ID the license is issued against.	Permit	Identification card required to buy a Michigan hunting or fishing license for anyone who does not have a Michigan driver's license or state ID on file with the DNR. Also the credential carried by underwater spearfishers.	Any · annual · all	$1.00

Every licence and fee 10

Licence	Residency	Term	Ages	Fee
Base licence 5
Voluntary Youth Fishing License Optional license for anglers age 16 and younger, who are not required to hold a license Purely voluntary - anglers 16 and younger may fish without any license. Sold so that young anglers can support fisheries programs.	Any	annual	under-17	$2.00
Daily Fishing License (all species) Residents and nonresidents age 17 and older who want a short-term license; valid 24 hours from the start date and time the buyer selects Same price for residents and nonresidents. Multiple consecutive days may be purchased at $10 per day.	Any	1-day	17+	$10.00
Senior Resident Annual Fishing License (all species) Michigan residents age 65 and older, and Michigan residents who are legally blind Includes a $1 surcharge. Also available to legally blind residents of any age.	Resident	annual	65+	$11.00
Resident Annual Fishing License (all species) Michigan residents age 17 and older fishing any Michigan waters Includes a $1 surcharge. Valid March 1 through March 31 of the following year. Michigan no longer sells separate all-species and restricted-species licenses - one all-species license covers every species.	Resident	annual	17-64	$26.00
Nonresident Annual Fishing License (all species) Nonresidents age 17 and older fishing any Michigan waters Includes a $1 surcharge.	Non-resident	annual	17+	$76.00
Combination licence 3
Senior Resident Hunt/Fish Combo License Michigan residents age 65 and older wanting the combined hunt and fish package Includes the $1 fishing surcharge.	Resident	annual	65+	$43.00
Resident Hunt/Fish Combo License Residents who want both a base hunting license with two deer licenses and an all-species fishing license Includes the $1 fishing surcharge.	Resident	annual	17-64	$76.00
Nonresident Hunt/Fish Combo License Nonresidents wanting the combined hunt and fish package Includes the $1 fishing surcharge.	Non-resident	annual	17+	$266.00
Endorsement 1
Underwater Spearfishing License Anglers taking fish by underwater spearfishing No cost, but a DNR Sportcard ($1) may be needed to be issued the credential.	Any	annual	all	Freestill required
Permit 1
DNR Sportcard Identification card required to buy a Michigan hunting or fishing license for anyone who does not have a Michigan driver's license or state ID on file with the DNR. Also the credential carried by underwater spearfishers. Not a fishing license by itself; it is the customer ID the license is issued against.	Any	annual	all	$1.00

Fees as published by Michigan DNR and read on 4 September 2026. Agencies change fees without notice and vendors add issuing charges, so confirm the current price at the point of sale. We do not reproduce seasons, limits or gear rules — see the agency's regulations page for those.

Notes on this listing

CONSOLIDATION VERIFIED: Michigan no longer distinguishes an all-species license from a restricted (warm-water) license. Both the 2026 Fishing Regulations digest and the DNR license-info page list a single set of 'All Species Fishing Licenses'. There is no trout/salmon stamp, no Great Lakes endorsement, and no angler AIS surcharge in Michigan. Michigan has no separate 24-hour or 72-hour tier - only the $10 daily license, which is valid 24 hours from a buyer-selected start time. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for motor-vehicle entry to state parks and state boating access sites and is therefore a practical precondition to some shore and boat fishing, but its price was not confirmed on an official page loaded this session, so it is not listed as a license row. Sturgeon harvest on Black Lake requires a separate free registration/harvest tag; an official page stating that tag's issuance terms was not loaded this session, so it is omitted rather than guessed. https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/licenses and https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/contact both returned 404 this session; the working equivalents listed in sources were used instead.

About Michigan DNR

Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency that issues fishing licences in Michigan and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.

Base and combination licences run from $2.00 to $266.00 depending on residency, term and age.

Beyond the base licence there are 2 specialty items to watch for, including the Underwater Spearfishing License and the DNR Sportcard. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.

Free fishing days: Winter Free Fishing Weekend February 14-15, 2026 and Summer Free Fishing Weekend June 13-14, 2026. Fishing license fees and the Recreation Passport entry requirement are both waived on those days.

The fee table below was read from official sources on 4 September 2026. We list what each item is called, who needs it and what it costs, and link out for the rules themselves — seasons, limits and gear regulations live on the agency’s own page and change too often to mirror.