Michigan Bass Fishing Now Legal Year-round
Michigan NRC meeting with the Commissioners
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission voted Thursday, April 9, 2015 to approve Fisheries Order 215.15 making catch-and-immediate-release (CIR) bass fishing legal year-round in Michigan effective immediately.
The regular bass seasons do not change so there is no new bass tournament opportunity, only catch and release. But there is no longer a statewide closed bass season. You can fish for bass legally every day of the year now.
You can’t keep bass during the January 1 to regular bass openers. You must release any smallmouth or largemouth bass you catch immediately.
For most of Michigan, the possession season – regular opener (keeping bass, bass tournaments with catch-and-delayed-release [CDR]) – is the Saturday before Memorial Day until December 31. The Lake St. Clair, St. Clair River and Detroit River north of the southern tip of Celeron Island do not open for possession until the 3rd Saturday in June until December 31st. This later opener is a social delay not scientific according to MDNR bass studies. The Beaver Island Archipelago possession season runs July 1 until December 31st. From January 1 until these openers you can practice CIR bass fishing.
Some designated trout waters close to all fishing on September 30th or as designated in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Fishing Guide. A few areas closed to all fishing (Example: Sylvania Wilderness Tract) are not open to catch-and-release bass fishing except as defined in the MDNR Fishing Guide.
Go enjoy some amazing Michigan bass fishing whether it’s through the ice, ice-out or early prespawn (most of the bass spawn happens after the regular bass seasons open in much of Michigan)!
More information can be found on the GreatLakesBass.com Michigan Bass Season forum.
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