2025 Season
Fishing Regulations
Fishing
Lake Erie Walleye: 15–18" Protected Slot on Michigan–Ohio Boundary Waters
Effective March 1, 2025
Michigan DNR, in coordination with Ohio DNR and the Lake Erie Committee, implemented a 15-to-18-inch protected slot limit for walleye on Michigan–Ohio boundary waters of Lake Erie effective with the 2025 fishing season. The slot targets the primary spawning class of western Lake Erie walleye and addresses harvest concerns flagged in the 2024 binational stock assessment. Under the new rule, walleye measuring 15.0 to 17.9 inches must be immediately released; the daily bag limit on boundary waters is set at 6 fish from outside the slot. Michigan waters within the western basin are subject to the same framework to maintain consistency with the federal boundary-water compact.
Key Changes:
• Protected slot: walleye 15.0–17.9 inches must be released on MI-OH boundary waters
• Daily bag limit: 6 walleye, all outside the protected slot range
• One walleye over 18 inches may be retained per day as part of the 6-fish bag
• Regulation applies to all Michigan waters of western Lake Erie and Maumee Bay
• Ohio-side slot limit is mirror regulation; joint enforcement by both states
• Ice fishing and open-water seasons both subject to the new slot regulation
Source: Official Michigan Agency ↗
Hunting Regulations
Hunting
Elk Antlerless Permit Quota Increased 12% in EMUs 1–4
Effective September 15, 2025
The Michigan DNR increased the elk antlerless permit quota by 12 percent across Elk Management Units 1 through 4 for the 2025 season, reflecting a growing elk population that has exceeded the upper end of the management objective range in the northern Lower Peninsula. The increased quota is designed to stabilize population growth and reduce agricultural crop damage complaints in Montmorency, Otsego, and Presque Isle counties. All elk licenses in Michigan are allocated through the annual computerized drawing; additional antlerless permits will enter the pool proportionally across the four units. Antlered elk quotas remain unchanged.
Key Changes:
• Antlerless elk permit quota increased 12% in EMUs 1, 2, 3, and 4
• Additional antlerless permits distributed proportionally across the four units
• All elk licenses remain draw-only; no over-the-counter elk licenses issued
• Antlered bull quota unchanged for 2025
• Elk license applications accepted during the spring application period
• Quota increase does not affect license point accumulation system
Source: Official Michigan Agency ↗