Minnesota Trout Limits & Seasons 2026
Statewide trout limits and seasons
Quoted verbatim from the 2026 Minnesota DNR regulations. These inland rules apply unless a lake's special regulation or a border-water rulebook overrides them.
Stream trout in lakes (brook, brown, rainbow, splake)
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: May 9, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026
Statewide inland
5 combined, not more than 3 greater than 16"
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Jan 17, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026
Winter statewide outside/partly-outside BWCAW, except the following lakes are closed: Little Andrus (Cass Co.), Allen and Pleasant lakes (Crow Wing Co.), and Bad Medicine (Becker Co.)
5 combined, not more than 3 greater than 16"
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Jan 16, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027
Winter statewide outside/partly-outside BWCAW, except the following lakes are closed: Little Andrus (Cass Co.), Allen and Pleasant lakes (Crow Wing Co.), and Bad Medicine (Becker Co.)
5 combined, not more than 3 greater than 16"
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026
Winter entirely within BWCAW
5 combined, not more than 3 greater than 16"
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Jan 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027
Winter entirely within BWCAW
5 combined, not more than 3 greater than 16"
Trout in streams
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Apr 11, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026
Inland except southeast counties
5 combined, only 1 over 16"
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Jan 1, 2026 – Apr 10, 2026
Southeastern Minnesota counties of Dakota, Dodge, Goodhue, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona
Catch-and-release only
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Apr 11, 2026 – Sep 14, 2026
Southeastern Minnesota counties of Dakota, Dodge, Goodhue, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona
5 combined, only 1 over 16"
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Sep 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
Southeastern Minnesota counties of Dakota, Dodge, Goodhue, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona
Catch-and-release only
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Jan 1, 2027 – Apr 9, 2027
Southeastern Minnesota counties of Dakota, Dodge, Goodhue, Fillmore, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, Winona
Catch-and-release only
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Sep 15, 2025 – Apr 10, 2026
East Beaver Creek in Beaver Creek Valley State Park; Forestville Creek in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; Canfield Creek in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; South Branch Root River in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; Trout Run Creek in Whitewater State Park and Middle Branch Whitewater River in Whitewater State Park. Also, within city boundaries of Chatfield, Lanesboro, Preston, Rushford, and Spring Valley.
Catch-and-release only
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Apr 11, 2026 – Sep 14, 2026
East Beaver Creek in Beaver Creek Valley State Park; Forestville Creek in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; Canfield Creek in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; South Branch Root River in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; Trout Run Creek in Whitewater State Park and Middle Branch Whitewater River in Whitewater State Park. Also, within city boundaries of Chatfield, Lanesboro, Preston, Rushford, and Spring Valley.
5 combined, only 1 over 16"
Brook, Brown, Rainbow, Splake
Season: Sep 15, 2026 – Apr 9, 2027
East Beaver Creek in Beaver Creek Valley State Park; Forestville Creek in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; Canfield Creek in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; South Branch Root River in Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park; Trout Run Creek in Whitewater State Park and Middle Branch Whitewater River in Whitewater State Park. Also, within city boundaries of Chatfield, Lanesboro, Preston, Rushford, and Spring Valley.
Catch-and-release only
Lake trout
Lake trout (summer)
Season: May 9, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026
Statewide
2
Lake trout (winter)
Season: Jan 17, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026
Outside or partly outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
2
Lake trout (winter)
Season: Jan 16, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027
Outside or partly outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
2
Lake trout (winter)
Season: Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026
Lakes entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
2
Lake trout (winter)
Season: Jan 1, 2027 – Mar 31, 2027
Lakes entirely within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
2
An honest note: stream trout rules are heavily water-specific. The rows above are the statewide table, but many individual streams — and some lakes — carry their own special regulations (artificial lures only, protected slots, catch-and-release sections) that are not shown here. Always check the official DNR booklet for the specific water you plan to fish, including its trout-stamp requirements.
Lakes with special trout regulations
14 lakes carry special trout regulations in the 2026 DNR list — lake-specific rules that override the statewide limits above. Each lake page quotes the exact rules.
- Little Andrus — Cass County
- Thompson — Cook County
- Caribou — Itasca County
- Thrush — Cook County
- Sagamore Mine — Crow Wing County
- Bad Medicine — Becker County
- Mahnomen, Alstead & Arco Mine — Crow Wing County
- Pleasant — Crow Wing County
- Allen — Crow Wing County
- Mukooda — St. Louis County
- Pennington Mine — Crow Wing County
- Little Trout — St. Louis County
- Foster-Arend — Olmsted County
- Turnip — Cook County
2 more waters — river and stream sections without a lake page — also carry special trout regulations; see the official DNR booklet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many trout can you keep in Minnesota?
It depends on the water. For stream trout in lakes, the 2026 Minnesota regulations list: 5 combined, not more than 3 greater than 16". In streams: 5 combined, only 1 over 16". Lake trout has its own statewide limit: 2. Southeastern Minnesota streams run on their own season windows — see the stream rows on this page. Verify current rules with the Minnesota DNR before keeping fish.
When does trout season open in 2026?
The 2026 stream trout season opens Apr 11, 2026, and the summer season for trout in lakes opens May 9, 2026. Southeastern streams also have catch-and-release windows — see the stream rows on this page.
Are trout rules the same on every Minnesota stream?
No — beyond the statewide table, many individual streams and lakes carry water-specific special regulations that are not shown on this page. Always check the DNR regulations booklet for the specific water you plan to fish.