Title Minnesota Statutes, Minnesota Statutes

97C.211 PRIVATE FISH HATCHERIES. § Subdivision 1.License required. A person may not operate a private fish hatchery without a private fish hatchery license. A private fish hatchery is a facility for raising fish, including minnows, for sale, stocking waters, angling, or processin…

97C.215 SPECIAL PERMITS FOR UNITED STATES AGENTS. The commissioner may issue a special permit, without a fee, to an authorized agent of the United States to conduct fish culture operations, rescue work, and related fishery operations. History: 1986 c 386 art 3 s 21

97C.301 LICENSE REQUIRED TO TAKE FISH. § Subdivision 1.Requirement. Unless exempted under section 97A.445, 97A.451, or 97A.465, subdivision 1, a person must have a license to take fish as provided in this section. § Subd. 2.Angling. A person may not take fish without an angling l…

97C.303 CONSERVATION ANGLING LICENSE. § Subdivision 1.Availability. The commissioner shall make available a conservation angling license according to this section. Conservation angling licenses shall be offered for resident individuals and resident married couples. § Subd. 2.Dail…

97C.305 TROUT-AND-SALMON STAMP VALIDATION. § Subdivision 1.Requirement. Except as provided in subdivision 2 or section 97A.405, subdivision 2, a person over age 18 and under age 65 required to possess an angling license must have a trout-and-salmon stamp validation to: (1) take f…

97C.311 LAKE SUPERIOR FISHING-GUIDE LICENSE. § Subdivision 1.License required. A person may not operate a charter boat and guide anglers on Lake Superior or the St. Louis River Estuary for compensation without a fishing guide license. For purposes of this subdivision and section …

97C.315 ANGLING LINES AND HOOKS. § Subdivision 1.Lines. An angler may not use more than one line, except that: (1) two lines may be used to take fish through the ice; (2) the commissioner may, by rule, authorize the use of two lines in areas designated by the commissioner in Lake…

97C.317 FISHING BY PARTY. While two or more persons are taking fish by angling as a party, the total number of fish taken and the total number of fish possessed by the party may not exceed the limit of the number of persons in the party that may take and possess fish by angling. …

97C.321 RESTRICTIONS ON UNATTENDED LINES. § Subdivision 1.General prohibition. A person may not take fish by angling with a set line or an unattended line except as provided in this section and rules adopted under the game and fish laws. § Subd. 2.Ice fishing. A person may use an…

97C.325 RESTRICTIONS ON TAKING FISH. (a) Except as specifically authorized, a person may not take fish with: (1) explosives, chemicals, drugs, poisons, lime, medicated bait, fish berries, or other similar substances; (2) substances or devices that kill, stun, or affect the nervou…

97C.327 MEASURING FISH LENGTH. For the purpose of determining compliance with size limits for fish in this chapter or in rules of the commissioner, the length of a fish must be measured from the tip of the nose or jaw, whichever is longer, to the farthest tip of the tail when ful…

97C.331 SNAGGING FISH PROHIBITED. § Subdivision 1.General prohibition. A person may not: (1) intentionally take fish by snagging; or (2) use a snag line, snag pole, snag hook, or cluster of fish hooks, designed to be placed in or drawn through the water to hook the body of a fish…

97C.335 USE OF ARTIFICIAL LIGHTS TO TAKE FISH PROHIBITED. (a) A person may not use artificial lights to lure or attract fish or to see fish in the water while spearing, except that while angling or spearing, a person may: (1) affix a lighted artificial bait with hooks attached to…

97C.341 CERTAIN AQUATIC LIFE PROHIBITED FOR BAIT. (a) A person may not use live minnows imported from outside of the state, game fish, goldfish, or carp for bait. Notwithstanding paragraphs (b) and (d), the commissioner may adopt rules to authorize the use of game fish eggs as ba…

97C.342 DISEASE-FREE CERTIFICATION; FROZEN OR DEAD FISH BAIT. § Subdivision 1.Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meanings given: (1) "Water body" means waters identified by a unique Department of Natural Resources public water identification n…

97C.345 RESTRICTIONS ON USING AND POSSESSING NETS AND SPEARS. § Subdivision 1.When use prohibited. Except as specifically authorized, a person may not take fish with a spear from the third Monday in February to the Friday before the last Saturday in April and may not take fish wi…

97C.351 FISH NETS; TAGS. A person may not possess a fish net unless specifically authorized or a tag is attached bearing the name and address of the owner when the net is not in use and the name and address of the operator when the net is in use, as prescribed by the commissioner…

97C.355 SHELTERS ON ICE; DARK HOUSES AND FISH HOUSES. § Subdivision 1.Identification required. All shelters on the ice of state waters, except portable shelters under subdivision 2a but including dark houses and fish houses, must have: (1) the owner's name and address, (2) the ow…

97C.361 RESTRICTIONS ON FISH HOUSES AND DARK HOUSES IN BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA. A person may only use a portable fish house or dark house within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. The house must be removed from the waters and collapsed or disassembled each night. The house may no…

97C.363 STORING GARBAGE AND OTHER WASTE ON ICE. § Subdivision 1.Prohibition. A person using a shelter, a motor vehicle, or any other conveyance on the ice of state waters may not deposit garbage, rubbish, cigarette filters, debris from fireworks, offal, the body of a dead animal,…

97C.371 SPEARING FISH. § Subdivision 1.Species allowed. Only common carp, native rough fish, catfish, lake whitefish, cisco (tullibee), and northern pike may be taken by spearing. § Subd. 2.Dark houses required for certain species. Catfish, lake whitefish, cisco (tullibee), and n…

97C.375 TAKING NATIVE ROUGH FISH AND COMMON CARP BY SPEARING. (a) A resident or nonresident may take native rough fish and common carp by spearing according to paragraph (b) and during the times, in waters, and in the manner prescribed by the commissioner. (b) Suckers may be take…

97C.376 BOW FISHING. § Subdivision 1.Season. (a) The regular bow-fishing season for residents and nonresidents is from May 1 through the last day in February at any time of the day. (b) The early bow-fishing season for residents and nonresidents is open only south of State Highwa…

97C.381 HARPOONING NATIVE ROUGH FISH. A resident or nonresident may use a rubber powered gun, spring gun, or compressed air gun to take native rough fish and common carp by harpooning. The harpoon must be fastened to a line not more than 20 feet long. The commissioner may prescri…

97C.385 COMMISSIONER'S AUTHORITY TO REGULATE WINTER FISHING. § Subdivision 1.Effect on summer angling season. If the commissioner closes the statutory open season for spearing a game fish or native rough fish species in any waters, the commissioner must, in the same rule, close t…

97C.391 BUYING AND SELLING FISH. § Subdivision 1.General restrictions. A person may not buy or sell fish taken from the waters of this state, except: (1) minnows; (2) common carp; (3) smelt taken from Lake Superior and rivers and streams that flow into Lake Superior; (4) fish tak…

97C.392 [Never effective, 2004 c 215 s 29; 2004 c 255 s 51]

97C.395 OPEN SEASONS FOR ANGLING. § Subdivision 1.Dates for certain species. (a) The open seasons to take fish by angling are as follows: (1) for walleye, sauger, northern pike, and muskellunge, the Saturday two weeks prior to the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through the last…

97C.401 LIMITS. § Subdivision 1.Duty to prescribe limits. Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, the commissioner shall, by rule, prescribe the limits on the number of each species of fish that may be taken in one day and the number that may be possessed. § Subd. 2.Walleye. A…

97C.411 STURGEON AND PADDLEFISH. Lake sturgeon, shovelnose sturgeon, and paddlefish may not be taken, bought, sold, transported or possessed except as provided by rule of the commissioner. History: 1986 c 386 art 3 s 44; 1991 c 259 s 23; 1996 c 410 s 45; 2024 c 116 art 3 s 45

97C.415 TROUT AND SALMON. § Subdivision 1.Hours for taking trout restricted. A person may not take trout, except lake trout, between 11:00 p.m. and one hour before sunrise. § Subd. 2.Lake Superior streams. The commissioner may prescribe the open season and conditions for taking b…

97C.417 REPORTING INVASIVE CARP. A person who takes any of the following invasive carp species must report the type of carp taken to the commissioner within seven days of taking: (1) grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella); (2) bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis); or (3) silve…

97C.501 MINNOW LICENSES REQUIRED. § Subdivision 1.Minnow retailers. (a) A person may not be a minnow retailer without a minnow retailer license except as provided in subdivisions 2, paragraph (d), and 3. A person must purchase a minnow retailer license for each minnow retail outl…

97C.502 MINNOWS AND LEECHES; INVASIVE SPECIES TRAINING REQUIRED. § Subdivision 1.Minnows; invasive species training required. A minnow dealer, and each person working under the minnow dealer's license, must annually satisfactorily complete aquatic invasive-species-related trainin…

97C.505 MINNOWS. § Subdivision 1.Authority to take, possess, buy, and sell. (a) Minnows may be taken, possessed, bought, and sold, subject to the restrictions in this chapter, section 84D.03, subdivision 3, and rules adopted by the commissioner under paragraph (b). A person may n…

97C.511 MINNOW SEINES. § Subdivision 1.Size restrictions. Except as provided in subdivision 2, a person may not take minnows with a seine longer than 25 feet, and deeper than: (1) 148 meshes of 1/4-inch bar measure; (2) 197 meshes of 3/16-inch bar measure; or (3) four feet of mat…

97C.515 IMPORTED MINNOWS. § Subdivision 1.General prohibition. A person may not bring live minnows into the state except as provided in this section. § Subd. 2.Permit for transportation. (a) A person may transport live minnows through the state with a permit from the commissioner…

97C.521 TRANSPORTING CARP FINGERLINGS PROHIBITED. Except as provided in section 17.4984, subdivision 2, paragraph (g), a person may not transport live carp fingerlings. History: 1986 c 386 art 3 s 50; 2000 c 331 s 5

97C.525 RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSPORTING MINNOWS. § Subdivision 1.Applicability. This section does not apply to the transportation of 24 dozen minnows, or less, or to transportation with a permit issued under section 97C.515, subdivision 2. § Subd. 2.Transporting out of state. A pers…

97C.601 FROGS. § Subdivision 1.Season. The open season for frogs is May 16 through March 31. The commissioner may, by rule, establish closed seasons in specified areas. § Subd. 2.License required. (a) A person may not take or possess frogs without an angling license if the person…

97C.605 TURTLES. § Subdivision 1.Taking turtles; requirements. (a) A person may not take, possess, or transport turtles without a resident angling license and a recreational turtle license. (b) Turtles taken from the wild are for personal use only and may not be resold. § Subd. 2…

97C.611 TURTLE SPECIES; LIMITS. § Subdivision 1.Snapping turtles. A person may not possess more than three snapping turtles of the species Chelydra serpentina. Until new rules are adopted under section 97C.605, a person may not take snapping turtles of a size less than ten inches…

97C.621 AREAS MAY BE CLOSED TO TAKING TURTLES. The commissioner may prohibit the taking of turtles from state waters where operations are being conducted to aid fish propagation. History: 1986 c 386 art 3 s 56

97C.701 TAKING MUSSELS. § Subdivision 1.Commissioner's authority. The commissioner may by rule set size limits and prescribe conditions for the taking, possession, transportation, sale, and purchase of mussels. § Subd. 1a. [Repealed, 2017 c 93 art 2 s 166] § Subd. 2. [Repealed, 1…

97C.801 TAKING NATIVE ROUGH FISH ON MISSISSIPPI RIVER. § Subdivision 1. [Repealed, 1997 c 216 s 90; 1997 c 226 s 51] § Subd. 2.Commercial fish netting on Mississippi River. (a) A license is required to commercially take native rough fish with seines in the Mississippi River from …

97C.805 NETTING LAKE WHITEFISH AND CISCOES. § Subdivision 1.Open season. (a) The commissioner shall, by rule, prescribe the open season and open state waters for netting lake whitefish and ciscoes. The commissioner may open specific lakes and waters that are otherwise closed if t…