Walleye limits on Detroit River

[frankbird]

Can anyone tell me what the possession limits are on the Detroit river if you have a Canadian license and a Michigan license? How many fish can you legaly take back home?

Thanks

[walleyeman830]

you can catch 4 on the ontario side and come over to the american side and catch 2 more, or you can just stay on the american side and catch 6.

[Alex]

Right on walleyman. You can never have more fish in your possesion (on the water or off) than the regulations for the state or province that you are currently in. Regardless of where they were caught. Also if you fish for 3 days and catch 3 days worth of limits, you can't transport or possess more than 1 days worth of catch (important to know if you ever have to cross the border).

[The Whale]

One note to add to the "possesion limits" topic is coming back from Canada you may posses TWO days limit. I.E. - brought back 100 Perch from Simcoe !!!


Whale :D

[Homer]

I don't think that's totally true, Alex. I launch at Lake Erie Metropark and go perch fishing in the Canadian waters of the Detroit River and Lake Erie. There is no limit for perch there, and a limit of 50 in Michigan. I have been told several times by Michigan DNR that I can bring more than 50 perch back with me, as long as I don't stop to fish in Michign waters on my way back.

I'm *really* anxious to find out if this isn't the case anymore, as I have no desire to be illegal.

[Big Frank 25]

I understand after getting to MI you must go to customs to declare your catch!

[Alex]

I could be wrong, rules may have changed. We used to take week/weekend trips to Canada. When crossing the border back to Michigan we would have to declare our catch and it could not be more than 1 day's limit (they have no way to know how many days you've fished). We would also have to leave a partial piece of the skin on the fillet so it could be identified. We never got questioned or inspected, but that was the rule, as I understood it.

If it has changed, it would only be for transporting fish. If you’re in Michigan or Canadian waters with more than the limit for that area you will get ticketed, regardless of where they were caught. From the DNR handbook

You may not "Possess more than the Michigan limit when fishing in Michigan waters even if holding licenses from more than one state or province." Also possession is called out in the manual as "Daily Possession Limit". The key word is “when fishing”, what about transporting? I always believed them to be one and the same. I found this on the DNR website as well.

Q: "I am camping for a week and fishing for walleyes on Lake Erie can I keep 6 fish per day in my cooler cleaned and packed or is there a daily limit as well as a total possession limit."

A:"You are allowed to have (6) fish total in your possession, and that means any fish that are cleaned and or frozen."

Sorry for the long post, but I’m now intrigued that I may not have been provided mis-info. I have a question in to the DNR to clarify.

[Homer]

Alex:

Please post the response you get from DNR, as it would be useful to know if there are differing opinions within the department. The interpretation that they have always given me was that "when fishing" is not the same as transporting; hence their advice never to stop and fish in Michigan waters on my way back.

This issue may be moot in the fairly near future, as the 2002 Ontario fishing license booklet says that they are planning to reduce the Detroit River/Lake Erie perch possession limit from unlimited to 50. It doesn't say when the change will take place, only that anglers will be notified when it does.

[Alex]

Here is the DNR answer:

Q:Am I allowed at any time to have over the daily possession limit in my
possession even if I am not fishing? Example,driving in my car
transporting several days catch. Or in my boat traveling from one
State's/Province's waters, with higher possession limits, to Michigan waters. All
the time never to stop to fish in Michigan.

A:If the possession limit is (5) fish, you are allowed to have only (5)
fish in your possession, no matter how many days you are fishing. If
you are on a three day fishing trip, and the walleye limit is (5), you
can only have (5) fish total, not 15 fish. Possession limits require
anglers to stop fishing after keeping a specified number of fish.
Possession limits provide a target for angler expectation, help to distribute
the catch more equitably, and prevent overharvest.

If you are fishing in Canadian or Ohio waters and the possession limit
is higher than that of Michigan, you do not stop your boat until you
have reached the dock in Michigan. If you stop in Michigan waters and
you are over the limit for Michigan fishing, you can get a ticket. It
does not matter if you have a license from Canada or Ohio. The point is,
you can not prove where you caught the fish. Thanks.

[Homer]

That last paragraph isn't totally clear to me. I think it means what they originally told me is correct, i.e. as long as I proceed directly from Canadian water to the U.S. dock without stopping, I'm OK possessing a Canadian limit. Is that your understanding?

[Big Frank 25]

That's what it sounds like. Some years ago, while a guest at a friends cottage. we kids left the fishing poles at dockside. The Grandfather while mowing the grass picked up the rods to move them from his path. Cited for fishing without a license! What happens when you get checked at the ramp. You were stoped in MI waters. In a court of law, what proof do we have that these are in fact fish from across the border?

[BEAGLEMAN]

I was told by DNR if I am bringing back limit of fish from fshing Canadian waters I would be legal as long as I did not stop to fish in U.S. waters and had a Canadian license.
I do this a lot fishing for walleye,especially later in the season.
Tom

[Alex]

It sounds like that is the case Homer and others. I found the two DNR statements somewhat contradictory. If I can never have over the possession limit how can I have 100 perch from Canada? So I checked the handbook again and found this. "A person fishing wasters bordered by other states or provinces and possessing multiple fishing licesnses may possess the limit allowed for only one license while in transit, but while fishing in Michigan waters, must comply with Michigan possession and size limits."

So basically special previsoins are giving for fishing boundry waters, allowing you to bring home our catch. Learn somthing new everyday.

I do not see anything in the handbook or in the comments from the DNR about Whale's comment. Not saying it isn't true, but I would check it out before doing it.