With the weather finally warm after a long winter, there's no better time to take the boat out and reel-in some big fish for the wall or grill.
And with free fishing weekend right around the corner, there will be a lot of anglers looking to hook a champion-sized bass.
Todd Grischke, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources assistant chief of the Fisheries Division, said that they always see a spike in fishing license sales when the weather begins to warm up.
Grischske also said that fishing remains a popular past time, with over a million registered anglers in the state annually.
"Fishing licenses for the most part over the last four or five years have been around 1.1, 1.5 mil(lion) for the year," Grischke said. "It's a very popular activity in Michigan. Those numbers that are reported, those are licenses sold to anglers at the age of 17 or older. We do not record the number of anglers under the age of 17 ... But certainly it's well over a million and a half — potentially even up to 2 million."
Grischke attributed the popularity of fishing in Michigan to the vast variety of fish that can be found in the waters around Michigan, including trout; salmon; walleye; blue gill and bass.
Free Fishing weekend, is June 9-10. All fishing licensing fees will be waived and a recreation passport will not be required to enter a state park or recreation area.
However, while many may want to dip their rods in the water and get some fresh fish in this warm weather, there are some rules and regulations that must be observed while fishing in the Mitten's waters. Here's what you need to know:
License Requirements
- You must have a fishing license if you are 17 or older
- You can fish if you are under the age of 17 but you must observe all of fishing rules and regulations.
- A license is required when targeting fish, amphibians, crustaceans and reptiles.
- Michigan's annual fishing license is valid from April 1, 2018 thru March 31, 2019.
- A DNR sportcard is $1
Fishing License Fees
- Resident Annual: $26
- Nonresident Annual: $76
- Senior Annual (residents 65 and over or residents who are legally blind): $11
- 24-hour (residents or nonresidents): $10
- 72-hour (residents or nonresidents): $30
Permit or Tag (unavailable online or with web app)
- Muskellunge Harvest Tag (license required): free
- Sturgeon Fishing Permit and harvest tag (license required): free
Combo Hunt/Fish License
- Hunt/Fish (resident): $76
- Hunt/Fish (resident) : $266
*Items include a $1 surcharge. Revenue generated from the funds will be used to educate the public on benefits of hunting, fishing and trapping in Michigan. and the impact of these activities on the conservation, preservation and management of the state's natural resources in accordance with statute.*
*Fees for hunting and fishing licenses not obtained through a lottery are waived for veterans with 100% disability or full-time active-duty military.
*To see the conditions that concerning the above the fees and regulations for veterans, visit the Department of Natural Resources website here.
Contact Brandon Patterson: BPatterson2@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @iAmBrandonPatt
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