03/24/2024
The Ojibwe spring fish harvest is underway and we want to remind Wisconsinites of the protected tribal right to fish in certain Wisconsin waterways and the legal consequences they could face if found interfering with that right during the upcoming Ojibwe spring fishing season.
Each tribal fishing season, tribal citizens harvest using various methods, including spearing and netting. The harvest usually begins shortly after the ice melts, typically by mid-April. This year, the season is beginning a bit earlier than normal due to the mild winter Wisconsin has experienced. The tribal harvest is not a date-regulated activity, and as a result, there is neither an open nor closed season. We collaborate with the Ojibwe tribes to uphold these tribal rights.
There are 2,300 lakes larger than 25 acres in the Ceded Territory, including 919 walleye lakes and 623 musky lakes. Each year, the Ojibwe tribal citizens fish a portion of these lakes outside of reservation boundaries during their spring harvest season. Tribal citizens rely on these lakes to preserve their cultural heritage and also act as a vital food source for their communities.
By March 15 of every year, each tribe declares how many walleyes and muskellunge it intends to harvest from each lake based on the safe harvest limits. Harvest begins shortly after the ice melts, with nightly fishing permits issued by the tribes to their members to harvest a specific number of fish, including one walleye between 20 and 24 inches and one additional walleye of any size.
All fish that are taken are documented each night by a tribal clerk or warden present at boat landings. Once the declared harvest is reached in a given lake, no additional permits are issued for that lake, and the harvest ends. The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) provides daily reports to the DNR for all fish harvested off-reservation by spearing or netting in the Ceded Territory.
Learn more about the tribal fishing season with this article from Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine: https://issuu.com/wisconsinnaturalresources/docs/wnr_spring_2022_final_spreads/s/15108936
