2026–27 license year · WBIC 322800
What you may keep
Every line below comes from the Wisconsin DNR lake regulation page for Shawano Lake. One rule here is stricter than most of the state: walleye need 18 inches and the daily bag is 3, because Shawano and Waupaca counties run their own walleye regulation.
Seasons and limits
| Species | Open season | Length limit | Daily bag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye, sauger and hybrids | May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027 | 18 in minimum | 3 | A Shawano and Waupaca county rule, stricter than most of Wisconsin. |
| Muskellunge and hybrids | May 2 – December 31, 2026, open water only | 40 in minimum | 1 | No ice-fishing season for musky. |
| Northern pike | May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027 | None | 5 | |
| Largemouth and smallmouth bass | May 2, 2026 – March 7, 2027 | 14 in minimum | 5 | Combined limit across both species. |
| Panfish | Open all year | None | 10 | Bluegill, pumpkinseed, other sunfish, crappie and yellow perch. |
| Rock, yellow and white bass | Open all year | None | Unlimited | |
| Catfish | Open all year | None | 25 | |
| Bullheads | Open all year | None | Unlimited | |
| Rough fish | Open all year | None | Unlimited | Carp, drum, bowfin, suckers, gar. |
| Cisco and whitefish | Open all year | None | 10 | |
| Lake sturgeon | Closed | — | 0 | No fishing allowed. |
| Shovelnose sturgeon | Closed | — | 0 | No fishing allowed. |
| Paddlefish | Closed | — | 0 | No fishing allowed. |
| Round goby, ruffe, white perch | Open all year | None | 0 | Invasive. One may be killed and kept for transport to a DNR office. |
Spring refuge. April 15 to May 15, the Wolf River below the Shawano dam is a fish refuge and is closed.
Check before you go. Wisconsin republishes regulations every license year and county rules change. The DNR page for WBIC 322800 is the authority, and it is one click away in the sources at the bottom of this page.
Licences and permits
Fishing licence
- Anyone 16 or older needs a Wisconsin fishing licence.
- Buy it through Go Wild, the DNR licensing system, or from a licence agent in Shawano.
- An inland trout stamp does not apply here. Shawano Lake is not trout water.
Boat launch permit
- City of Shawano launches charge a daily or an annual permit fee, payable on site.
- Buy the annual permit if you plan more than a handful of trips.
- See the access page for what each landing charges.
Invasive species law
Shawano Lake carries eight established invasive species, so the state rules apply here in full every time you leave the water.
- Inspect the boat, the trailer and every piece of equipment, and remove all attached plants and animals.
- Drain all water from the boat, the livewell, the bilge and every container.
- Never move live fish away from a landing.
- Buy bait locally rather than hauling a bucket from another lake.
- Zebra mussel
- Eurasian water-milfoil
- Hybrid Eurasian/Northern water-milfoil
- Curly-leaf pondweed
- Rusty crayfish
- Banded mystery snail
- Chinese mystery snail
- Faucet snail
Eating what you catch
Wisconsin publishes a fish consumption advisory for every water body, covering mercury and PCBs, with separate guidance for people who are pregnant and for children under 15. Read the advisory for Shawano Lake before you plan a regular fish diet from it.