Wisconsin · Fishing license · Age
What age do you need a fishing license in Wisconsin?
From 16 on, with no upper limit.
The ages that matter
Under 16
No license needed
Children can fish without one. Everything else still applies though — limits, sizes and seasons do not change with age.
16 and up
License required
Carry it with you while fishing.
65 and up
Cheaper, not free
Wisconsin has no age exemption. Residents get a reduced rate instead: Fishing, senior (65+) at $7.
How Wisconsin DNR words it
Wisconsin DNR: "In Wisconsin, kids 15 and under fish without a license every day and anglers born before 1927." Everyone else from 16 up needs one — 16- and 17-year-olds pay the 7-dollar junior rate.
Quoted rather than paraphrased. With rules that carry a fine, the exact wording is the point.
Optional licenses for children
- Fishing, junior (16 and 17) — $7.
Other ways to be exempt
Age is one route. Wisconsin DNR lists these as well.
- Anyone 15 years old or younger
- Anglers born before 1927
