Minnesota Fishing License: Cost, Requirements & How to Buy
A Minnesota fishing license costs $25 for a resident adult and $51 for a non-resident adult (fees verified 2026-09-12).
Minnesota calls itself the Land of 10,000 Lakes for a reason, and its fishing license reflects a state built around the activity: cheap for residents, with a full menu of short-term options for the out-of-state anglers who drive up every summer for walleye.
- Non-resident 24-hour $14
- Non-resident 72-hour $36
- Non-resident 7-day $43
A trout/salmon stamp validation ($10) is required to keep trout or salmon in most waters, and a sturgeon tag ($5) is required to keep sturgeon. Resident married-couple ($40) and non-resident family ($68) licenses are also available. Anglers under 16 fish free.
Fee last verified 2026-09-12.
Heading out for Minnesota fishing? Game wardens require carrying physical or digital license proof and valid tags. Equip yourself with a waterproof license and tag pouch, rechargeable wide-beam LED headlamp, and corrosion-resistant multi-tool pliers before your trip.
Once you have the license, check the Minnesota fishing regulations: statewide daily bag limits, size limits and seasons by species.
What a Minnesota fishing license costs
Residents pay $25 for the annual license; non-residents pay $51. Short-term non-resident options include a 24-hour license for $14, a 72-hour for $36, and a 7-day for $43, any of which beats the annual for a typical lake vacation. A resident married-couple license is $40, and a non-resident family license is $68.
Trout, salmon and sturgeon add-ons
A trout/salmon stamp validation, $10, is required to fish for or keep trout or salmon in most Minnesota waters, on top of the base license. Anglers targeting sturgeon on the Rainy River or elsewhere need a separate $5 sturgeon tag.
License year and deadlines
Minnesota fishing licenses follow the same March 1 through end-of-February license year as hunting licenses, rather than the calendar year most other states use.
How to buy your Minnesota fishing license
The DNR's online licensing system, plus retailers like Fleet Farm, Cabela's and bait shops statewide, sell all license durations and the trout/salmon stamp. Licenses can be printed or carried digitally on a phone.
Fishing in Minnesota: what to expect
Walleye is the fish Minnesota is built around, and Lake of the Woods, Mille Lacs and Leech Lake are the state's marquee destinations, each with a genuine resort and guide industry oriented around the opener in mid-May. The Boundary Waters and the broader Arrowhead region offer wilderness fishing for walleye, smallmouth bass and lake trout for anglers willing to canoe in. The Mississippi headwaters and countless smaller lakes across the state add panfish, bass and muskie fishing within a short drive of almost anywhere in Minnesota.
The fishing opener and short-term licenses
Minnesota's walleye season opener, traditionally the second Saturday in May, draws a surge of both resident and non-resident anglers to the state's best walleye lakes, and it's worth buying a license in advance rather than scrambling on opener weekend when bait shop lines run long. A visitor coming up for a single long weekend on Mille Lacs or Lake of the Woods will almost always save money on the 72-hour or 7-day non-resident license rather than the full annual.
How to renew a Minnesota fishing license
There is no separate renewal process in Minnesota. A fishing license is not extended in place; when it expires you buy a new one for the next license year through the same system you used the first time, and your customer profile, hunter or angler ID and any saved payment details carry over so the second purchase takes a couple of minutes.
The fastest route is the official Minnesota online licensing portal, which also lets you print or download the new license and add any stamps, tags or endorsements in one transaction. In-person license agents (sporting goods stores, bait shops and, in many states, county clerks) sell the same license at the same price, so use whichever is closer. Buying before the old license lapses is not required, but it avoids an accidental gap if a season opens before you get round to it.
Planning more than one? See the Minnesota hunting license page too, see how much a fishing license costs in every state, compare non-resident fishing fees across states, browse every state, or use the state license finder.