Fishing At Isle Royale National Park

Isle Royale National Park is located in the northwest corner of Lake Superior. This Wilderness Island contains a road-less backcountry which prohibits the use of all wheeled vehicles and devices (except wheelchairs). Visitors traveling to this Island paradise must arrive by boat or seaplane. The transportation services depart from Houghton, Michigan, Copper Harbor, Michigan and Grand Portage, Minnesota. Vehicular parking is available at all departure locations.

Only 1-day fishing licenses are available on the Island. Visitors wanting a longer license need to purchase them on the mainland prior to departure.

General possession notes

All fish in your possession count toward your limit, regardless of where and when you caught them. All fish in your possession must be measurable and identifiable by species. This requirement will be met by leaving the head and skin on.
Interior Lakes

A fishing license is NOT required. However, Michigan size and possession limits apply.

Method of Take

Use only artificial lures. "Artificial lure" means any lure that is manmade, in imitation of or as a substitute for natural bait, used to attract fish for the purpose of taking them, and shall include artificial flies. Live, dead or preserved bait or organic food may not be used or possessed at any time. Digging for bait is not allowed.

Season:

May 15 to October 31

Minimum Size Limits:

Walleye - 15"
Northern Pike - 24"

Possession Limit:

five (5) fish in any combination

Note: size limits in the interior lakes focus on leaving the smaller fish. Smaller fish are needed by natural predators, such as eagles, osprey, loons, and otter, for whom fish is a major part of their diet.

Lake Superior Waters (within park boundaries)

A Michigan Fishing License is required. One-day licenses are available only at the Rock Harbor Lodge office or the Windigo store. We recommend obtaining your fishing license prior to leaving the mainland.

Species:

Trout and Salmon

Season:

April 15 to October 31

Minimum Size Limit:

10"

Possession Limit:

Five (5) in any combination, but no more than three (3) of any one species.

Coaster Brook Trout:

Lake Superior Waters (extend 4.5 miles out from the island)
Catch and release only for all brook trout, including all bays and harbors.

Inland Waters
Catch and release only in all streams and Hidden Lake. Artificial lures and barbless hooks only in all streams and Hidden Lake

Disposal of Fish Remains

At Rock Harbor, use the fish cleaning station. At Windigo, bag your fish remains in plastic and put in trash cans. In other areas, including interior or shore-based backcountry campsites:

-Clean fish at least 100' away from docks and campsites

-Cut fish remains (skeletons and heads, too) into small pieces (4" or smaller)

-Place the remains on shore at least 100' away from docks and campgrounds, between the waterline and the vegetation OR

-Dump remains in deep (50' or deeper) waters of Lake Superior, outside of protected bays or harbors

Please resist the temptation to throw pieces of fish remains to the gulls. Often these pieces of fish end up rotting in shallow water. One purpose of these guidelines is to prevent stinking fish remains from ending up on the lake bottom near campgrounds and docks. Please do not clean any fish directly on docks. Thoroughly scrub up and rinse away all blood and slime from any on-shore surfaces.

Fishery Conservation

Keep in mind that the larger fish are the ones that produce offspring. Releasing larger fish and keeping only smaller ones helps insure that there will be plenty of fish in the future. Leaving the larger fish and taking those smaller than 28 inches helps insure that there will be plenty of fish in the future. Smaller fish are also better-tasting, so consider taking pictures of the large fish, then carefully releasing them. Instead of killing trophy fish, please consider modern graphite mounts. The park encourages fishermen to catch only what they plan to keep or eat and then stop fishing and enjoy the many other attractions of Isle Royale.

Transporting Fish to the Mainland

A permit from the Michigan DNR is required to ship fish on a commercial vessel. The permit is good for a daily possession limit only and may only be used once a year. Fish must be claimed by someone at the end destination and cannot be stored. Permits may be obtained by mail or phone from the Michigan DNR. Fish may not be transported in coolers of boats riding on the deck of the Ranger III. Ask the ship's purser how to properly transport fish.