Fish Consumption Guide
The statewide rules in 30 seconds (MN MDH, WI DNR/DHS)
Each state publishes two tables: one for everyone, and one for children under 15 and for people who are pregnant, may become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. The rows below are Minnesota MDH's statewide figures. Wisconsin groups its species differently and its numbers differ, so each lake page shows the table for that lake's state.
- Everyone: 4 servings per week of bullhead, crappie, sunfish, inland trout, cisco and lake whitefish. 1 serving per week of bass, catfish, lake trout, walleye and northern pike, at any size. 1 serving per month of yellow perch and muskellunge.
- Children under 15, and people pregnant or breastfeeding: 1 serving per week of bullhead, crappie, sunfish, inland trout and lake whitefish. 1 serving per month of bass, catfish, lake trout, walleye 20″ and over (18″ in northeastern Minnesota) and northern pike 28″ and over (26″ in northeastern Minnesota).
- On the avoid list, for that same group only: yellow perch and muskellunge.
- Wisconsin DHS puts walleye, northern pike, bass and catfish in one group: 4 servings per month for everyone, and 1 serving per month for children under 15 and for people who are pregnant, may become pregnant within three to five years, or are nursing. Panfish and inland trout carry no limit for everyone and 4 servings per month for that group. Muskellunge is the only species Wisconsin lists as do not eat, and only for that group.
Featured Lakes: Advisories 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.
Where Each Lake's Guidance Comes From
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?
That is a call for the state health agency and the county health department; this site reports their published guidance. MN MDH and WI DNR/DHS statewide guidance 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). Michigan lake pages link to the official Michigan MDHHS Eat Safe Fish guidance.
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. Wisconsin DHS also includes people who may become pregnant in the next three to five years. Each state publishes a separate table of meal limits for this group rather than a blanket rule, and the limits are lower than the general ones for some species and the same for others.
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
- → Best fishing times — solunar calendar
- → Minnesota state record fish
- → Wisconsin state record fish
- → Illinois state record fish
- → Michigan state record fish
- → Iowa state record fish
- → Ohio state record fish
- → Pennsylvania state record fish
- → New York state record fish
- → Missouri state record fish
- → Indiana state record fish
- → North Dakota state record fish
- → South Dakota state record fish
- → Algae bloom advisories
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.