Commercial fishing license information

The inland commercial fish are defined as common carp and native rough fish. Bowfin and any species listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern are not considered inland commerical fish.

Fish species included

• Buffalo (bigmouth, smallmouth and black).
• Bulhead (black, brown and yellow).
• Carpsucker.
• Freshwater drum.
• Gar (longnose and shortnose).
• Goldeye.
• Northern hognose sucker.
• Quillback.
• Sucker (White, blue, spotted and longnose).

• A person may not commercially fish inland waters without a commercial fishing license.
• Nonresidents may only be licensed to fish waters not previously assigned to residents.
• In the license application, the applicant must list the number of feet of seine of each depth to be licensed.
• Inland commercial fishing operators are issued licenses to fish a specific area (see map) and each operator shall be obligated to fish in the area that has been assigned to them.
• Licenses to net commercial fish in inland waters are issued to residents and nonresidents annually and shall be valid for commercial fishing during the open season for commercial fishing in inland waters from the day after Labor Day to the day before the open season for walleye.
• All commercial fishing operators must submit reports, on forms provided by the commissioner, on their commercial fishing activities containing all information as required by the commissioner. Issuance of licenses, contracts or permits may be delayed until all reports have been received. The commissioner may revoke a commercial fishing license, contract or permit of a person who fails to submit reports.

• Commercial fishing in Lake Superior is limited to 25 licensed commercial fishermen.
• Fish species allowed to be commercially fished are: lake trout, ciscoes, chubs, alewives, lake whitefish, round whitefish, pygmy whitefish, rainbow smelt and native rough fish.
• Some of the considerations for issuing a license are based on experience with fishing Lake Superior, such as having apprenticed with a licensed commercial fisherman, and having the necessary equipment to fish Lake Superior.

• A license is required to commercially take native rough fish with seines in the Mississippi river from the St. Croix River junction to St. Anthony Falls.
• A person may take common carp and native rough fish (except bowfin) in the Mississippi River from the St. Croix River junction to St. Anthony Falls only with the following equipment and methods:
  1. Operations shall be conducted only in the flowing waters of the river and in tributary backwaters prescribed by the commissioner.
  2. Seines may be used only as prescribed by this section and rules adopted by the commissioner.
  3. Seines must be hauled to a landing immediately after being placed.
  4. Two seines may not be joined together in the water.
  5. A seine may not be landed between sunset and sunrise.

• On Minnesota-Wisconsin boundary waters, a commercial operator may operate only in the territorial waters of the state of licensure.
• Commercial gear authorized under a commercial fishing license includes set lines (trot lines), seines and gill nets.
• Species of fish allowed to be commercial harvested are common carp and native rough fish (except bowfin) and a limited number of catfish.

• A person with a commercial fishing license may list one person as an apprentice on the license.
• A person acting as an apprentice for a commercial fishing licensee must have an apprentice license.
• The commercial fishing licensee or the apprentice listed on the license must be present at all commercial fishing operations including going to and from fishing locations, or in setting or lifting nets, or removing fish from nets.
• A person possessing an angling license may assist the holder of a master's or apprentice license in going to and from fishing locations, or in setting or lifting nets, or removing fish from nets.
• An apprentice license is transferable to another by the holder of a master's license applying to the commissioner.

If you are a Commercial Fishing licensee or an apprentice working under the licensee's commercial fishing license, you are required by law to annually complete an Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) training course prior to taking, selling or transporting for sale minnows within the state.