Fish Consumption Guide
Is It Safe to Eat Fish?
Per-lake fish consumption guidance for 2,754 Minnesota and Wisconsin lakes. Mercury limits, length cutoffs for walleye and pike, PFAS context, sensitive-population advice — sourced from MN MDH and WI DNR/DHS Choose Wisely.
The Statewide Rules in 30 Seconds
- 1 meal per week: panfish (bluegill, crappie, sunfish, perch), bullhead, lake whitefish, lake herring, inland trout
- 1 meal per month: bass, catfish, lake trout, walleye under 20″ (18″ in NE MN), northern pike under 28″ (26″ in NE MN)
- Do not eat: muskellunge (all sizes), walleye 20″+ (18″+ in NE MN), northern pike 28″+ (26″+ in NE MN)
- Sensitive populations (kids under 15, people pregnant or planning pregnancy, breastfeeding) should avoid walleye and pike entirely from inland WI waters and follow the most protective MN guidance.
Featured Lakes — Safe-to-Eat by Lake
Each lake page applies statewide guidance to species actually documented at the lake. For waterbody-specific advisories (PFAS, PCBs), every page deep-links to the official state query.
How We Build Each Lake's Page
Every per-lake safe-to-eat page combines three things:
- Statewide guidance from MN MDH or WI DNR/DHS Choose Wisely
- Fish species documented at that specific lake in MN DNR or WI DNR survey data
- Lake-zone modifiers — Northeast Minnesota's stricter cutoffs for St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties
The result: per-species guidance you can read in 30 seconds, with a deep link to the official waterbody-specific advisory query so you can verify any PFAS, PCB, or dioxin advisories that go beyond the statewide rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much fish can I safely eat from a Minnesota or Wisconsin lake?
For the general population: 1 meal per week of low-mercury fish (panfish, perch, crappie, bullhead, sunfish, lake whitefish, herring, inland trout). 1 meal per month of mid-mercury fish (bass, catfish, lake trout) and walleye/northern pike under length cutoffs. Do not eat: muskellunge at any size; walleye 20 inches or larger (18+ in NE Minnesota); northern pike 28 inches or larger (26+ in NE Minnesota).
Who counts as the "sensitive population"?
Children under age 15, plus anyone 15 or older who is pregnant, could become pregnant, is breastfeeding, or plans to breastfeed. Sensitive populations should follow the most protective guidance for all species, not just predator fish.
Why is walleye more restricted than bluegill?
Mercury bioaccumulates up the food chain. Walleye, northern pike, muskellunge, and lake trout are top predators that eat smaller fish, concentrating mercury in their flesh. The longer they live, the more mercury accumulates. Bluegill, crappie, perch, and other panfish eat zooplankton and insects — much lower mercury.
What is the Northeast Minnesota protective zone?
St. Louis, Lake, and Cook counties — the "Arrowhead" region — have higher background mercury from historical mining and forested wetlands that favor methylmercury production. MN MDH applies 2-inch shorter length cutoffs in this zone: walleye 18 inches+ becomes do-not-eat (vs 20+ statewide), and northern pike 26 inches+ becomes do-not-eat (vs 28+ statewide).
Are PFAS advisories different from mercury advisories?
Yes. PFAS contamination is point-source — industrial discharges, military firefighting foam, paper mill waste. The Bay of Green Bay (WI), Yahara chain (WI), and select Northeast MN lakes have the most active PFAS advisories. A lake can have low mercury but high PFAS, or vice versa. Always check the official MN MDH or WI DNR query for current PFAS guidance on a specific lake.
Is the guidance on this site official?
No. This site applies the official statewide guidelines from MN MDH and WI DNR/DHS to species documented at each lake in DNR survey data. For lake-specific advisories beyond statewide rules — especially PFAS, PCBs, and dioxins — always check the official query, linked on every per-lake page.
Related
This site applies official statewide guidelines from Minnesota Department of Health and Wisconsin DNR / DHS Choose Wisely to species documented in DNR fish surveys. It does not replace lake-specific advisories published by health agencies.