Wisconsin Fishing License
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR)
Contact
- Address
- 101 S. Webster Street, PO Box 7921
Madison, WI 53707-7921 - DNR Customer Service (1-888-WDNRINFO)
- 1-888-936-7463
- Hours
- 7 days a week, 7:00am-10:00pm CT
- Website
- dnr.wisconsin.gov
At a glance
- Licences and permits
- 31
- Of which specialty
- 10
- Cheapest listed licence
- $0.00
- Fees verified
- 4 Sep 2026
Who does not need one
Children age 15 and under fish without a licence every day. Anglers born before 1927 do not need a licence.
Specialty licences 10
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes Trout and Salmon StampDistinct from the inland trout stamp. Included in the 2-day Great Lakes licence. | Stamp | Anglers fishing Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and their tributaries for trout or salmon; required in ADDITION to a fishing licence | Any · annual · 16+ | $10.00 |
| Inland Trout StampDistinct from the Great Lakes stamp. Included in the 2-day inland lake trout licence. | Stamp | Anglers fishing inland trout waters; required in ADDITION to a fishing licence | Any · annual · 16+ | $10.00 |
| Resident Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing License | Permit | Residents spearing sturgeon on Lake Winnebago | Resident · season · all | $20.00 |
| Resident Upriver Lakes Sturgeon Spearing License | Permit | Residents spearing sturgeon on the Upriver Lakes | Resident · season · all | $20.00 |
| Nonresident Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing License | Permit | Nonresidents spearing sturgeon on Lake Winnebago | Non-resident · season · all | $65.00 |
| Nonresident Upriver Lakes Sturgeon Spearing License | Permit | Nonresidents spearing sturgeon on the Upriver Lakes | Non-resident · season · all | $65.00 |
| Resident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Inland Waters | Harvest / catch record card | Residents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on inland waters | Resident · season · all | $20.00 |
| Resident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Wisconsin/Michigan Boundary Waters | Harvest / catch record card | Residents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on Wisconsin/Michigan boundary waters | Resident · season · all | $20.00 |
| Nonresident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Inland WatersNonresident military rate 20.00. | Harvest / catch record card | Nonresidents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on inland waters | Non-resident · season · all | $50.00 |
| Nonresident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Wisconsin/Michigan Boundary WatersNonresident military rate 20.00. | Harvest / catch record card | Nonresidents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on Wisconsin/Michigan boundary waters | Non-resident · season · all | $50.00 |
Every licence and fee 31
| Licence | Residency | Term | Ages | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base licence 21 | ||||
| Armed Forces Fishing License Active-duty armed forces members on furlough or leave Free. | Any | annual | all | Freestill required |
| Resident Disabled Veteran Annual Fishing License Qualifying Wisconsin resident disabled veterans | Resident | annual | all | $3.00 |
| Resident First-Time Buyer Annual Fishing License Wisconsin residents who have not held a fishing licence previously | Resident | annual | 16+ | $5.00 |
| Resident Disabled Annual Fishing License Qualifying disabled Wisconsin residents | Resident | annual | all | $7.00 |
| Resident Junior Annual Fishing License Wisconsin residents age 16-17 | Resident | annual | 16-17 | $7.00 |
| Resident Senior Citizen Annual Fishing License Wisconsin residents age 65 and older | Resident | annual | 65+ | $7.00 |
| Resident 1-Day Fishing License Wisconsin residents fishing for one day | Resident | 1-day | 16+ | $8.00 |
| Nonresident 2-Day Great Lakes Fishing License Nonresidents fishing the Great Lakes for two days Includes the Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Stamp. | Non-resident | short-term | 16+ | $14.00 |
| Resident 2-Day Great Lakes Fishing License Wisconsin residents fishing the Great Lakes for two days Includes the Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Stamp. | Resident | short-term | 16+ | $14.00 |
| Resident 2-Day Inland Lake Trout Fishing License Wisconsin residents fishing inland trout waters for two days Includes the Inland Trout Stamp. | Resident | short-term | 16+ | $14.00 |
| Nonresident 1-Day Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for one day | Non-resident | 1-day | 16+ | $15.00 |
| Nonresident Military Annual Fishing License Qualifying nonresident military members | Non-resident | annual | all | $20.00 |
| Nonresident Student Annual Fishing License Qualifying nonresident students attending school in Wisconsin | Non-resident | annual | all | $20.00 |
| Resident Annual Fishing License Wisconsin residents age 16 and older fishing state waters | Resident | annual | 16+ | $20.00 |
| Nonresident First-Time Buyer Annual Fishing License Nonresidents who have not held a Wisconsin fishing licence previously | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $28.75 |
| Nonresident 4-Day Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for four days | Non-resident | short-term | 16+ | $29.00 |
| Resident Spousal Annual Fishing License Married Wisconsin resident couples buying together Covers both spouses. | Resident | annual | 16+ | $31.00 |
| Nonresident 15-Day Fishing License Nonresidents fishing for fifteen days | Non-resident | short-term | 16+ | $33.00 |
| Nonresident 15-Day Family Fishing License Nonresident families fishing for fifteen days | Non-resident | short-term | 16+ | $45.00 |
| Nonresident Annual Fishing License Nonresidents age 16 and older fishing Wisconsin waters | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $55.00 |
| Nonresident Family Annual Fishing License Nonresident families; price is for the primary holder | Non-resident | annual | 16+ | $70.00 |
| Stamp 2 | ||||
| Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Stamp Anglers fishing Lake Michigan, Lake Superior and their tributaries for trout or salmon; required in ADDITION to a fishing licence Distinct from the inland trout stamp. Included in the 2-day Great Lakes licence. | Any | annual | 16+ | $10.00 |
| Inland Trout Stamp Anglers fishing inland trout waters; required in ADDITION to a fishing licence Distinct from the Great Lakes stamp. Included in the 2-day inland lake trout licence. | Any | annual | 16+ | $10.00 |
| Permit 4 | ||||
| Resident Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing License Residents spearing sturgeon on Lake Winnebago | Resident | season | all | $20.00 |
| Resident Upriver Lakes Sturgeon Spearing License Residents spearing sturgeon on the Upriver Lakes | Resident | season | all | $20.00 |
| Nonresident Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing License Nonresidents spearing sturgeon on Lake Winnebago | Non-resident | season | all | $65.00 |
| Nonresident Upriver Lakes Sturgeon Spearing License Nonresidents spearing sturgeon on the Upriver Lakes | Non-resident | season | all | $65.00 |
| Harvest / catch record card 4 | ||||
| Resident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Inland Waters Residents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on inland waters | Resident | season | all | $20.00 |
| Resident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Wisconsin/Michigan Boundary Waters Residents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on Wisconsin/Michigan boundary waters | Resident | season | all | $20.00 |
| Nonresident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Inland Waters Nonresidents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on inland waters Nonresident military rate 20.00. | Non-resident | season | all | $50.00 |
| Nonresident Sturgeon Hook and Line Tag - Wisconsin/Michigan Boundary Waters Nonresidents fishing for sturgeon by hook and line on Wisconsin/Michigan boundary waters Nonresident military rate 20.00. | Non-resident | season | all | $50.00 |
Fees as published by Wisconsin 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
CONFIRMED all three critical items as distinct products: the Inland Trout Stamp (10.00), the Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Stamp (10.00) and sturgeon tags/spearing licences are separate line items on the official DNR licence page. Sturgeon is sold both as a hook-and-line tag (20.00 resident / 50.00 nonresident, inland and Wisconsin-Michigan boundary waters versions) and as Lake Winnebago and Upriver Lakes spearing licences (20.00 resident / 65.00 nonresident). Earlier guessed URLs under dnr.wisconsin.gov/permits returned 404; the working page is dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing/outreach/FishingLicenses, reached by following the link from dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Fishing. Wisconsin also sells a Conservation Patron licence that bundles fishing, stamps and hunting privileges, but its price was NOT published on any page loaded this session so no row was created rather than guessing. No DNR email address is published (a web feedback form is used instead) and free fishing weekend dates were not on the pages loaded.
About Wisconsin DNR
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is the agency that issues fishing licences in Wisconsin and sets what every angler on its water has to carry.
Base and combination licences run from $0.00 to $70.00 depending on residency, term and age.
Beyond the base licence there are 10 specialty items to watch for, including the Great Lakes Trout and Salmon Stamp, Inland Trout Stamp, Resident Lake Winnebago Sturgeon Spearing License and the Resident Upriver Lakes Sturgeon Spearing License. These are separate purchases and a base licence does not cover them.
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.