Mich. adds license requirement for inland sport fishing guides

As of March 1, sport fishing guides operating in Michigan will need an inland guide license in order to take clients on guided fishing trips on inland lakes.

The license is required for anyone on all bodies of water except for the Great Lakes, Great Lake-connecting waters — like the St. Marys River, the St. Clair River beginning at the Fort Gratiot Light, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River — and bodies of water with a surface area of less than 5 acres.

“This is a new statutory requirement for inland fishing guides, and DNR staff has been working to determine the best way to implement it for everyone’s ease of use,” said Brandon Kieft, assistant chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division. “As with any new regulatory requirement, it will take time to adjust to it. Our main focus during the early stages of this new program is to make sure that everyone who wants to operate as an inland fishing guide is aware of the need for this license.”

To obtain an inland fishing guide license, applicants must complete a questionnaire to confirm their eligibility; once the DNR has approved the eligibility, applicants can acquire their license via the DNR’s online licensing program or the DNR Hunt Fish app. The license fee is $150 for residents and $300 for nonresidents, and the licenses are good for three years after the date they’re issued.

According to the DNR, to be eligible for a fishing guide license, applicants must:

Possess a valid certification in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation issued by the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association, and be able to provide a copy of the certification to the DNR upon request.

Possess a valid, lawfully obtained Michigan driver’s license issued under the Michigan vehicle code, an official state personal identification card or a DNR-issued Sportcard.

Have not been convicted of a felony or other violation listed within MCL 324.48714a(2)(c) in the past three years.

Be eligible to purchase a license for the fish species targeted while acting as a sport fishing guide.

Possess a valid state inland pilot’s license issued by the DNR or a valid captain’s license issued by the U.S. Coast Guard, if you intend to operate a watercraft while acting as a sport fishing guide.

Possess, while acting as a sport fishing guide, a basic first aid kit that includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: tourniquet, chest seals, compression gauze, CPR mask, trauma shears, sterile eyewash, mylar emergency blanket, bandages, moleskin, and tweezers.

Then, beginning on April 1, all licensed inland sport fishing guides must provide an electronic report of all monthly catch activity for trips that occurred on all waters, excluding the Great Lakes, Great Lakes-connecting waters and bodies of water with surface area smaller than 5 acres.

Questions about obtaining an inland sport fishing guide license or monthly catch activity reports? Contact Kendra Kozlauskos at 231-330-2845 or DNR-Fish-Charter@Michigan.gov.