Late Summer Fishing Reminders

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department reminds anglers to review state regulations and safety guidelines to protect fish populations during the late-summer fishing season.
Anglers intending to release a fish after catching must do so immediately after unhooking the fish. The only exception to this rule is the minimal time required to measure and/or photograph the fish, after which it must be returned to the water without delay. 

The Department strongly urges anglers to keep any fish caught from depths greater than 25 feet rather than practicing catch-and-release.  Fish reeled up from these depths suffer from barotrauma, a rapid change in pressure that expands the swim bladder and destroys the fish's ability to balance itself. Many deep-water hooked fish also experience severe internal injuries, including ruptured blood vessels and organ damage, meaning many will die if released.  To prevent this unnecessary mortality, anglers should either avoid fishing in waters deeper than 25 feet or commit to keeping all fish caught at those depths. 

Game and Fish reminds the public that it is illegal to return any fish to the water after it has been held in a livewell, stringer, or any other holding structure. Once a fish is kept, it counts toward the angler's daily creel limit and cannot be released later to be replaced by a different fish.