Minnesota Ice Fishing Rules

Method Rules

An angler on Minnesota waters must personally attend all tip-ups. At no time can the angler be more than 200 feet away from deployed tip-ups. The limit per person in Minnesota is two tip-ups in the water at any one time. People that decide to fish through the ice using hand-held ice fishing rods can have one tip-up in the water while they do so. Any more than one is illegal when someone is with a rod. Minnesota does not permit using any part of a game fish, carp or goldfish as bait. State law forbids the use of treble hooks.

Possession and Size Limits

Anglers may keep as many as six walleyes caught through the ice as long as each fish is at least 15 inches long. Only one over 20 inches may be kept. Individuals may keep as many as three northern pike. However, only one may exceed 30 inches in length. The minimum size for a muskellunge to be legal is 40 inches and there is a limit of one per day. The limit for sunfish is 20 daily and the limit for crappie, also called calico bass, is 10. Thirty rock bass and 30 white bass is the daily limit. The possession limit on yellow and white perch is 20 per person and 40 per a group of anglers. There is a set limit of two for lake trout, but as far as smelt and whitefish are concerned, there is no possession limit. Five is the legal limit for species of catfish, but no more than two of these can be of the flat head variety.

Darkhouse Spearing

Darkhouse spearing describes the use of a shelter in which an angler chisels out a hole and spears fish through the ice. The shelter remains dark while the angler lowers a fish decoy into the water. She then waits for certain species to investigate the decoy before spearing the fish with a sharp multi-pronged spear. In Minnesota, anglers legally target northern pike, catfish and whitefish using this procedure. Non-residents may not engage in darkhouse spearing. Residents over the age of 15 and under the age of 65 require both an angling license and a special darkhouse spearing license. Anyone over 64 must have a fishing license to spear fish this way. Someone may fish with a hand-held jigging rod in a darkhouse, but only one line can be in the water at any time. The angler must quickly release all fish caught this way in a darkhouse except for those he wants to keep. These fish he will place on the ice for inspection by game wardens. It is not legal to use any artificial light to spot fish when in a darkhouse.