Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in Michigan
Legal with restrictionsInformational only — this is not legal advice
Fishing regulations change, sometimes with little notice, and can vary further by county, water body, or season within a state. This page is a starting point for research, not a substitute for the law. Always verify current rules directly with your state's fish & wildlife agency or TakeMeFishing.org before you fish. BasicGear is not responsible for citations, fines, or gear seizures resulting from reliance on this page.
Last verified: 2026-07-08 — regulations are re-checked periodically; see the date above before assuming this is current.
Summary
Baitfish cast-netting (alewife, minnow, smelt, gizzard shad) is legal only on the Great Lakes and connecting waters — it's prohibited on all inland waters.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- Not specified — Michigan's own text allows "any size" for cast nets
- Mesh
- Not specified
- Water type
- Great Lakes and connecting waters/channels only, not general inland
- License
- Yes — standard Michigan fishing license
Recommended BasicGear net
Cast Net — Basic Series — No size cap found — any BasicGear net works, but only on the Great Lakes and their connecting channels, not inland lakes.
Official source
Michigan DNR — 2026 Fishing Regulations Guide↗
Medium confidenceThe primary PDF was blocked from direct fetch; corroborated via secondary transcription and multiple independent search snippets.
Last verified: 2026-07-08
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