Buy Minnesota Fishing License

Just last month, several conservation leaders across Minnesota worried that fishing and hunting license sales would plummet this year as people stayed home under the shadow of COVID-19, thus threatening fish and wildlife projects across the state that license dollars pay for.

buy minnesota fishing license

Minnesota's general fishing season starts Saturday at 12:01 a.m. Minnesota officials are encouraging people to get out and fish, but to do so only in their own communities, not to travel far to get there and to social distance along the way, on docks and at boat landings.

Minnesota sold 1,100,256 fishing licenses last year. That number has been fairly consistent between 1 and 1.2 million over the past 20 years. The state is believed to have about 1.4 million anglers when older seniors and children who don't need licenses are factored in.

Individuals fishing anywhere in Ontario including Quetico Provincial Park need both an Outdoors Card and a fishing license. Purchase an Outdoors Card and fishing license by clicking here. Licenses may not be available at Quetico Ranger Stations. Click here for information about seasons, limits, and fishing regulations within Quetico Provincial Park.

License types available for purchase on the mobile site include short-term angling, individual angling, resident combination angling, resident individual sports, resident combination sports, small game and state stamp validations. Any license that requires a site tag such as deer or turkey is not available for mobile purchase.

Once a customer purchases and receives mobile license information by text, email or both, he or she must be able to provide the email or text information to a DNR enforcement officer upon request as proof of a valid license.

License dollars are the fiscal foundation of fish and wildlife management in Minnesota. License revenue is dedicated to managing 5,400 fishing lakes, thousands of miles of rivers and streams, 1,400 wildlife management areas and more than 150 field conservation officers. Buying a license means lakes are stocked and managed, fish and game laws are enforced and conservation efforts happen on the ground.

The Minnesota DNR has received a limited number of reports from people who attempted to purchase fishing or hunting licenses online and came away from the transaction without a license, or having been charged in excess of the cost of a license.

The DNR said the change brings Minnesota in line with state and federal laws that require collecting personal information for fishing licenses and help prevent licenses from being sold to anyone with violations or unpaid fines.

The DNR noted that if both spouses are not present, one may purchase their part of the license, but their spouse will have to come in later. There will be no additional charge and the discounted rate will still apply.

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Minnesota has its share of lakes richly populated by various fish species. Jessie Lake teems with walleyes, crappie, jumbo perch and smallmouth and largemouth bass. Cass Lake is famous for its muskies. Cutfoot Sioux Lake is the most popular fishing spot in the areas as it is the spawning area for big, great walleyes. Fishing is an enjoyable outdoor sports recreation but before planning a fishing trip, it is best to get a Minnesota fishing license first and read up on current fishing laws.

Purchasing a Minnesota fishing license is easy and convenient through the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' website or by phone. For those who wish to but their personally, there are legitimate fishing license agents by way of sporting goods store and tackle shop all over Minnesota.

It is highly advised that a responsible angler read the current fishing rules and regulations before settling for a short or extended fishing trip. These laws and rules are strictly observed so as to protect the interest of the fish population. Fishing rules and regulations may be updated from time to time based on current assessment of the general fish populations.

However, fishing can only be eternally fun if we fish responsibly. Hence, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has designed rules and regulations to make sure that anglers will not exploit its water resources. The first and one of the most important of these regulations are requiring anglers to secure a fishing license before they can legally fish in the rich waters across the entire state.

Learn about the different types of licenses in Minnesota, how to purchase them, and other fishing regulations observed in the state, and you are good to go to harvest the catch of your dream in the Land of 10,000 Lakes!

Several exemptions are adopted by the state of Minnesota in implementing its license requirements. If you qualify in any of these cases, then you are allowed to fish in the waters of the state without a license legally:

Both residents and non-residents can purchase an annual Fishing License, which would allow them to fish in the waters of Minnesota. The cost of the Annual Fishing License is $25.00 (residents) and $51.00 (non-residents). A 72-hour license is also available for $14 (residents) and $43.00 (non-residents). Furthermore, residents who are married can also purchase a Married Annual License for only $40.00 for both spouses to enjoy fishing in its waters. Conversely, non-residents can opt to purchase an annual Family License, which grants both spouses as well as all their children under the age of 16 the right to fish in the state. This license costs $68.00. If you and your family are not planning on fishing in Minnesota the whole year round, you also have the option to purchase a 14-Day Married License for $54.00. Other special licenses include the Annual Conservation License, Married Conservation License, Sports License, and Super Sports License.

Much like any other state, Minnesota imposes certain limits on fishing and catching in its waters. These limits are imposed in order to make sure that the state maintains a healthy fish population. It is important to read and understand about the different fishing limits and possession limits imposed by the state in order to avoid violating local laws. Please download the updated Minnesota Fishing Regulation Guidebook to learn more about the different regulations, rules, and laws observed within the state. A download link is provided below:

Conservation licenses are special types of licenses that are only available to residents. This license grants licensee access to fish in the waters of Minnesota but the daily and possession limits are half of what can be taken with a standard angling license.

Bass also opens on May 14 for catch and release fishing in most of the state, and you can keep bass starting Saturday, May 28. Plus, you can fish for crappie, perch and sunfish right now if you have your 2022-23 license.

All licenses are available for purchase through Go Wild, sales locations or at one of our DNR Service Centers unless otherwise noted. A valid driver's license or social security number is required to purchase a license online through GoWild.

If you are a nonresident attending high school or a university in Wisconsin, or you are a nonresident who is an active member of the armed forces stationed in Wisconsin, please contact your nearest DNR Service Center for information on licenses that may be available to you.

This First-time Buyer license is a reduced rate license offered to customers to introduce them to hunting or fishing. It is also available for any customer who has not purchased a license in any of the last 10 years.

Important: New Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regulations regarding non-immigrant visitors bringing firearms or ammunition into the United States, requires the completion of ATF Form 6 NIA(5330.3D) (Import Application). Once approved, Form 6 NIA(5330.3D) becomes the actual permit. The visiting non-immigrant must also posses a valid hunting license issued by one of the 50 states, or an invitation to, or registration for, a valid sport shooting event. ATF Form 6 NIA(5330.3D) can take 8-12 weeks for approval so applicants should plan accordingly. An approved Form 6 NIA(5330.3D) is valid for one year from date of issuance. It cannot be reused. Forms 6 NIA(5330.3D) are available from ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives):

Couples can still get a couples' rate and a combination license, but there are more requirements on it this year to help the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources comply with state and federal laws.

A 1996 federal law ordered the collection of social security numbers with non-commercial hunting or fishing license to help states enforce child support programs. Minnesota followed suit with a law mandating it in 2003, according to a DNR website.

The DNR checks each license applicant for violations, unpaid fines and child support revocation. And the department shares the social security numbers with the Minnesota Department of Human Services for child support enforcement, according to the DNR website. It's not used for any other purpose, and it's stored in a secure database.

Once the social security number is provided, the state does not ask for it year after year, he said. So the requirement only impacts new customers and spouses who've never been the primary person on a combination license.

The combination licenses had been tied to one member of the couple, which meant the spouse was not in the system, Kreller said. That made it harder for enforcement officers to check on the spouse if they went fishing without the primary license holder. 041b061a72