Check before you go fishing

The 2020 Minnesota fishing regulations are available online and anywhere Minnesota fishing licenses are sold.

Find all the changes for 2020 by checking page 7, including changes to special regulations that apply to individual lakes, rivers or streams. You can find a list of all the special regulations starting on page 38. 

Sustaining great fishing on Mississippi River border waters

The 2020 Minnesota fishing regulations booklet includes new possession and length limits on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border waters of the Mississippi River. This is the first comprehensive update of regulations on the Mississippi River border waters in nearly 70 years. The new possession and length limits now in effect for most gamefish species were developed based on decades of biological data, as well as substantial public input during 2018 and 2019.

Time to buy your fishing license

It’s the time of year when anglers and hunters need to buy new fishing and hunting licenses. Minnesota fishing, hunting and trapping licenses for 2019 expired Feb. 29. Licenses for 2020 are now available wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold, online at mndnr.gov/buyalicense and by telephone at 888-665-4236. Is this your first license? Anyone who wants to start fishing or hunting can visit the DNR’s learn to fish and learn to hunt pages.

Meet DNR staff: John Hoxmeier

What makes good habitat for paddlefish? Can bigmouth buffalo really live more than 100 years? In brook trout vs. brown trout, what wins? DNR Fisheries has a new research supervisor whose work includes answering these questions and many more.

John Hoxmeier began in his new position in January, bringing with 20 years of experience in fisheries science and management. Among his projects, he’s evaluated native brook trout distribution and population characteristics, larval fish dynamics in the Mississippi River, competition between brook and brown trout, brown trout population dynamics, paddlefish and lake sturgeon habitat, and age estimation techniques for warm and cold water fish species.

Hoxmeier also is an associate editor for the North American Journal of Fisheries Management, and has his name to more than 25 peer-reviewed publications. Learn more about DNR Fisheries research publications, projects and staff on the DNR website.