Doug Etten

Wisconsin’s non-tribal members trolled, used live sonar and fished for walleyes and muskies on state waters within the Lac du Flambeau (LdF) reservation on opening day after all, thanks to an injunction ordered by a federal district judge on Friday, May 1, just one day before the Saturday, May 2, opener.
The injunction was ordered by  U.S. District Judge William Conley of the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin in Madison following a lawsuit filed by Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul on April 30.

The Lac du Flambeau (LdF) Chippewa tribe announced last week, in an unprecedented action, that its tribal council voted to ban fishing of walleyes and muskies by non-tribal members on a number of lakes inside the reservation, located about 10 miles west of Woodruff.
In that same action tribal council members also banned forward trolling for any species of fish on all LdF waters. This all comes about a month ahead of the Saturday, May 2, Wisconsin fishing opener.

Tribal spearers from Wisconsin’s six Chippewa tribes across the ceded territory reported a near-record 38,832 walleyes during an extended spring spearing season in 2024.
The total walleye number was accompanied by a relatively standard muskie harvest of 268 fish. Those numbers are now considered to be final following what was a data survey period that closed July 15.