With Michigan’s new fishing license and regulation season beginning Tuesday, April 1, anglers wanting to hit the water will need to purchase a new fishing license. The 2025 fishing licenses are available for purchase now and are valid through March 31, 2026.
All anglers ages 17 and older are required to purchase a fishing license to fish in Michigan; these licenses are good for all species, though additional reporting requirements apply to some species and fishing methods. Anglers can purchase:
An annual fishing license at $26 for Michigan residents or $76 for nonresidents (both carry an additional $1 surcharge).
A daily fishing license for $10 per day.
An optional youth fishing license, which is available for only $2 for anglers ages 16 and younger.
Make future online fishing license purchases even more convenient by selecting auto-renew at online checkout or in the Auto Renewals section of the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app to automatically buy future licenses as they become available.
2025 fishing seasons
The statewide trout opener and the Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons all open Saturday, April 26.
In Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye and northern pike seasons open Thursday, May 15.
Michigan’s muskellunge possession season on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers opens Saturday, June 7. (Remember that catch-and-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year.)
The catch-and-immediate-release season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open all year on nearly all waters (unless otherwise closed to fishing — check the current Michigan Fishing Regulations for specifics).
The possession season for bass opens statewide Saturday, May 24, except for Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers which open Saturday, June 21.
