Wisconsin Sets Statewide No-Limit Rule for Gobies and Ruffe, With Required Handling

Wisconsin anglers can now keep gobies and ruffe without a numerical limit from any waterbody in the state, but the fish must be immediately eviscerated, decapitated or have their gills removed. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced the permanent rule on November 6, saying it took effect November 1, 2026.

The change, approved by the Natural Resources Board, also allows possession of an unlimited number of white perch. White perch harvested on inland waters must likewise be eviscerated, decapitated or have their gills removed. That inland-water qualification is important: the DNR announcement distinguishes white perch from the statewide handling requirement for gobies and ruffe.

The practical point is that an unlimited bag is not permission to keep these fish alive. For gobies and ruffe, anglers need to meet the immediate handling requirement when keeping a catch. The announcement addresses these detrimental species; it should not be read as lifting limits for other fish.

This is a statewide permanent-rule development, rather than just the earlier emergency measure for round gobies in the Winnebago System. Anglers who have been following the Winnebago issue should use the new DNR announcement for the current statewide possession and bag-limit change.

Reporting still matters. The DNR says a round goby population has not been established in the Winnebago System and continues to encourage anglers to report every goby captured there through its online goby reporting tool. Harvest and reports help biologists track the invasion; the new possession rule does not mean that monitoring is finished.

The agency also asks anglers to report any detrimental fish species caught in inland waters to their local fisheries biologist. Before keeping a fish under the new rule, make sure of its identification and follow the species-specific handling instructions in the DNR announcement.

Illustrative file photograph: a round goby, not a documented Wisconsin catch associated with this rule. Photo: Eric Engbretson / USFWS. Public domain. Image and license: USFWS media library.

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