Wisconsin's Wet feet Law

[spinner1]

Is waterway public or private
This is directly from Wisconsin Trout Fishing Regulations

Public or Private?

How Do I Know If I?m Trespassing?

? Navigability determines whether a waterway is public or private.
Navigable lakes and streams are public waterways.

? A waterway is navigable if it has a bed and banks and it is
possible to fl oat a canoe or other small craft at sometime of
the year?even if only during spring floods.

? Because they are public, you may use navigable waters for
fishing, boating, swimming or other recreational activities,
provided public access is available, or you have permission of
the land owner to cross their property to reach the waterway.
Once on a navigable waterway,

AS LONG AS YOU KEEP
YOUR FEET WET, YOU MAY WALK ALONG THE BED OF
THE STREAM, FISH, SWIM, OR BOAT IN ANY NAVIGABLE
LAKE OR STREAM.

************************************************** ******

KEY to what you just read:

? A waterway is navigable if it has a bed and banks and it is
possible to float a canoe or other small craft at sometime of
the year?even if only during spring floods.

All streams with water in them year round are navigable

.................................................. .................................................. .....

Trout streams are the SIDEWALKS of the outdoors in Wisconsin.
Landowners do NOT own the stream.

If you ask politely a couple times and they say NO. WADE IT.

If they bother you call police and get them charged with harassing an angler.

Most bridges with weight limitation on them are public bridges. You have a small
easement to enter the water and get your feet wet. I don't care if the landowner owns
2000 acres in each directions you are LEGAL.

Wade from public easement on to private land is OK also. The ones that preach NOT wading just don't want you to interfere with THEIR home field advantage or they own the land.

Take a digital camera with you and film unruly land owners. it will work well in court.

[MSD53X]

Spinner;

Doesn't that kinda a ruin the whole idea of relaxing and enjoying your day on the stream ? I mean, I don't like to be anywhere I'm not wanted, and I want to fish, not get involved in some legal dispute.

[spinner1]

it makes for a stressful outing.
Usually when I have decided to wade...
I tell the landowner on the last attempt to get permission.
I have the fish regs with me and point out there is
a wading option in the law.

Lots of people don't
realize there is a wading law.

If they don't believe what they see directly under their nose in print.
I then tell them I will be wading the stream on their property.

There are 2 streams I wade in my homewaters. Two NO landowners in 47 years of asking permission.

[lee s]

You are so right Spinner.
It is our responsibility to retain as much of our "outdoor" rights as possible, for us and our children.
Good men who DO nothing will still lose ALL to the opposition.
.....lee s.

[EdD]

One point of consideration, at least in some places. Being legally in the right does NOT make you immune to buckshot.

Ed

[spinner1]

I am a retired cop. If anyone brings a gun to greet me on stream they better kill me because i am pressing charges when I return home. My camera would be in Mpeg mode and i would make the "CRIMINAL" aware i was taping.

[Big Bad Wulff]

Spinner;

Doesn't that kinda a ruin the whole idea of relaxing and enjoying your day on the stream ? I mean, I don't like to be anywhere I'm not wanted, and I want to fish, not get involved in some legal dispute.

You have a point BUT to just give in doesn't help protect your rights either.

[Old #art]

Sorry Spinner, but that comes across as sort of pushy to me. Just reading your statements raised my blood pressure. But on the other hand, not being familiar with Wisconsin, the law is the law and you can do what the law allows.

George

[spinner1]

The law has been this way for eons in Wisconsin.
Had the law expalined to me by the Head Fisheries guy from the state of wisconsin.

[JohnScott]

Old #art -

I believe that in most states, someone pointing a gun in a threatening manner at another person who is acting within the law and lawfully on public property ( that would be a fisherman in Wisconsin with wet feet, for example ) can be charged with assault.

It would be in the interest of the fishing and other recreating public lawfully on public waterways that such persons be charged and prosecuted for their crime.

John