Rules & Regulations
Cast net laws in Wisconsin
Effectively illegal statewide (one narrow exception)Informational 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
Cast nets are illegal on all Wisconsin waters and the Great Lakes, with one narrow exception: the Wisconsin/Iowa boundary waters, for suckers only.
Size, mesh & licensing
- Max size
- 7 ft diameter (3.5 ft radius) — in the exception zone only
- Mesh
- Maximum 1/2 in stretch measure — exception zone only
- Water type
- Not saltwater; freshwater exception zone only
- License
- Likely required — not explicitly addressed for cast nets in the license-exemption clause
Recommended BasicGear net
No recommendation — Cast nets are banned on every Wisconsin water except one narrow boundary-waters exception for suckers only — close enough to a statewide ban that we're not recommending a net without direct WDNR confirmation that you qualify for the exception.
Official source
Last verified: 2026-07-08
See all 50 states, or shop the cast net lineup for Wisconsin.