Regulations
Minnesota Fishing Limits 2026: Statewide Daily & Possession Limits by Species
Minnesota's 2026 statewide fishing limits by species in one table: walleye, pike, bass, panfish, trout and more, plus how special-regulation lakes differ.
Updated
Minnesota's statewide limits for the 2026 season are six walleye, ten crappie, twenty sunfish, six bass and one muskie, with northern pike set by zone. The table below covers inland waters and comes from the 2026 Minnesota fishing regulations booklet, effective March 2026 through February 28, 2027 and verified in October 2026. Special-regulation lakes, border waters and Lake Superior have their own numbers.
Statewide inland limits by species
Unless the table says otherwise, the daily limit and the possession limit are the same number.
| Species | Limit | Size rules | Season (2026-27) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye and sauger | 6 combined | Only 1 walleye over 20 inches | May 9, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Northern pike | By zone (see below) | By zone | May 9, 2026 - Feb. 28, 2027 |
| Muskellunge | 1 | 54-inch minimum | June 6 - Nov. 30 |
| Tiger muskie (hybrid) | 1 | 40-inch minimum | June 6 - Nov. 30 |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | 6 combined | None statewide | Harvest from May 23 in most of the state (see notes) |
| Crappie | 10 combined | None statewide | Continuous |
| Sunfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed and others) | 20 combined | None statewide | Continuous |
| Yellow perch | 20 daily, 40 in possession | None | Continuous |
| Rock bass | 30 | None | Continuous |
| White bass and yellow bass | 30 combined | None | Continuous |
| Channel catfish | 5 | Only 1 over 24 inches | Continuous |
| Flathead catfish | 2 | Only 1 over 24 inches | April 1 - Nov. 30 |
| Lake trout | 2 | None statewide | Summer May 9 - Sept. 30; winter season separate |
| Stream trout in streams | 5 combined | Only 1 over 16 inches | April 11 - Sept. 30 in most of the state |
| Stream trout in lakes | 5 combined | Not more than 3 over 16 inches | May 9 - Oct. 31; winter season separate |
| Burbot (eelpout) | 4 | None | Continuous |
| Whitefish | 15 | Over 7 inches | Continuous |
| Cisco (tullibee) | 15 | Over 7 inches | Continuous |
| Bullhead | 100 | None | Continuous |
| Gar | 10 | None | Continuous |
| Lake sturgeon (inland) | Catch-and-release only | Not applicable | June 16 - April 14 |
| Paddlefish | No open season | Not applicable | Closed |
| Carp, suckers, redhorse, buffalo, drum, bowfin | No limit | None | Continuous |
A proposed change to the walleye limit
The DNR has proposed reducing the statewide walleye limit from six to four, still with one over 20 inches. As of October 2026 this was going through formal rulemaking; if adopted, the DNR says it would take effect March 1, 2027. Until a new booklet says otherwise, six is the number.
Notes that change the numbers
Northern pike zones
Minnesota manages pike in three zones, and the limit applies to where the fish was caught.
| Zone | Where | Limit | Size rules |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | North and east of U.S. Highway 53, Duluth to International Falls | 2 | Release all from 30 to 40 inches; only 1 over 40 |
| North-central | Most of lake country, between the other two | 10 | Release all from 22 to 26 inches; not more than 2 over 26 |
| Southern | South of a line running roughly Ortonville to Hutchinson to Chaska and down the Minnesota River | 2 | 24-inch minimum |
The North-central rule is built for lakes overrun with small "hammer handle" pike, which is most of them between Brainerd and Bemidji. Keeping a mess of pike under 22 inches for pickling is exactly what the regulation is asking you to do. The statewide maximum possession is 10 pike, and you cannot add a Southern Zone limit on top of a North-central one. Dark house spearing has its own pike size rules. The DNR maps the zones at mndnr.gov/pike and in the booklet.
Bass
Starting in 2026, bass can be fished catch-and-release during any part of the year when harvest is closed. Harvest of six combined opens May 23, 2026 in the Southern and North-central zones and with the walleye opener on May 9 in the Northeast Zone. In the Southern and North-central zones, smallmouth bass go back to catch-and-release from September 14 through the end of February, while largemouth can still be kept.
Sturgeon
Inland lake sturgeon are catch-and-release only, with no tag needed. Harvest of one fish per calendar year is possible only on specific border waters such as the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods, during set windows, within tight length limits and with a $5 tag. The DNR noted that 2026 sturgeon rules were not final when the booklet went to print, so check before planning a trip around keeping one.
Trout stamp waters
Trout limits assume you hold a trout and salmon stamp where required. Lake Superior and its tributaries have a separate table with minimum sizes; for example, the Lake Superior lake trout limit is three, and the walleye limit there is two with a 15-inch minimum.
Conservation license
If you bought the cheaper resident conservation license, every limit above is halved and rounded down, and you may not keep a walleye over 20 inches. Six walleye becomes three, ten crappie becomes five, one muskie becomes catch-and-release.
Lakes where the statewide limits do not apply
About 20 pages of the booklet list waters with their own rules. A special regulation always overrides the statewide limit. A sample of the big ones, as printed for 2026:
| Water | 2026 regulation |
|---|---|
| Mille Lacs | Set each season. For open water 2026 the DNR announced 3 walleye, 17 inches or longer, only 1 over 20 inches. Winter rules begin Dec. 1. |
| Upper Red Lake | Set each season. Open water 2026: 5 walleye, only 1 over 17 inches. Pike: limit 3, release 30 to 40 inches, 1 over 40. |
| Leech Lake | Walleye possession limit 4, only 1 over 20 inches. Crappie daily limit 5, sunfish daily limit 5. |
| Lake Winnibigoshish and connected waters | Walleye from 18 to 23 inches released, only 1 over 23 inches. Sunfish daily limit 5. |
| Lake Vermilion | Walleye from 20 to 26 inches released; possession limit 4, only 1 over 26 inches. |
| Kabetogama | Walleye from 18 to 26 inches released, 1 over 26; 6 walleye and sauger combined, only 4 walleye. |
| Rainy Lake | 8 walleye and sauger combined, not more than 4 walleye; walleye 18 to 26 inches released, 1 over 26. |
| Lake of the Woods | 6 walleye and sauger combined, not more than 4 walleye; walleye 19.5 to 28 inches released, 1 over 28. |
| Gull Lake Chain | Pike from 30 to 40 inches released; possession limit 2, 1 over 40. |
| Whitefish Chain | Crappie daily limit 5, sunfish daily limit 5. |
The most common special regulation is not on walleye at all. It is the reduced panfish bag: a daily limit of 5 or 10 sunfish, sometimes 5 crappie, on lakes across Otter Tail, Crow Wing, Cass, Itasca and Douglas counties. Several more lakes were added for 2026. On those lakes the reduced number is a daily limit for that lake; the statewide possession limit still applies to your overall total.
How these rules work, and why the big walleye lakes keep changing, is covered in special regulations and slot limits.
How to check a specific lake
- Search the lake on DNR LakeFinder and open its fishing regulations.
- Look the lake up alphabetically in the special regulations section of the booklet.
- Read the sign at the public access. Special regulations are posted there, and in-season changes on lakes like Mille Lacs are posted at the ramps first.
If none of the three shows a special rule, the statewide table applies. Our lake finder and county listings can help you choose a lake; the DNR is the authority on what you can keep there.
Bottom line
- Six walleye, ten crappie, twenty sunfish, six bass statewide, with pike set by zone. Verified for the 2026-27 license year.
- Possession means everything you have anywhere. Daily equals possession for nearly everything except perch.
- Any lake famous enough that you have heard of it probably has its own regulation. Check before you keep fish.