Isle Royale Forums

The IR NPS website doesn't say anything about a barbless hook requirement, but I have seen people talking about it on here. Before I waste a bunch of time trying to find barbless hooks and then changing all of my lures out, does anyone know with certainty what is allowed in and around IR?

I believe the rule on the island is when fishing for brook trout (catch and release only), you must use barbless hooks. Maybe John can chime in here.

I remember awhile back a friend of mine marked my map (streams) where he's had good luck with brook trout. A ranger came into camp one night, checked my permit and saw me looking at the map. He saw where it was marked for brookies and he about asked me to see my fishing lures, telling me I needed barbless hooks. Hell, I wasn't even fishing at the time.

Don't waste your time replacing hooks/lures. If you want to make them barbless, just crimp the barb down with a pair of pliers or lightly grind it off.

Damon....

I go barbless anyway (I even cut some of my hooks off my lures)...pinch them down with a pair of fishing pliers like Damon suggested. You'll be catching so many fish that you don't really want to be messing around taking hooks out, keeping the fish out of water to long puts too much stress on them. I love it when they fish unhooks before the actual landing so I don't have to mess with a flopping fish

From the 2010 Greenstone (official Park newspaper):

Only barbless hooks may be used for fishing the park’s rivers, creeks, and streams, and all inland lakes. Barbed hooks are only allowed in Lake Superior waters.

Thanks for confirming everyone. Hows the walleye bite in the inland lakes?

Chickenbone was hot according to other hikers? Lake Whittlesey stunk during the middle of July (only fished it one day).

The rangers at RH said all barbless hooks on all waters except Superior. You don't have to look for barbless hooks, you can just take pliars and crimp them down and you will be all set.

Walleye on Lake Whitlessey was good, got 3 right away on Xraps then it went cold for a while then I picked up a nice one jigging with a Berkely minnow tipped jig with a curly tail grub on it.