The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has approved an emergency rule to address the presence of invasive round goby in the Winnebago System. The rule, effective June 19 – November 16, 2026, allows anglers to keep harvested round gobies if they are eviscerated, decapitated, or have their gills removed.

What to Do If You Catch a Round Goby

Anglers who catch a suspected round goby in the Winnebago System should report it to the DNR using the Online Goby Reporting Tool or by bringing the specimen to the Oshkosh DNR office. The DNR asks anglers to be on the lookout for round gobies and to report their catch to help track the presence of the species.

Round gobies are an aggressive invasive fish that can displace native fish populations and survive in poor water quality. They have been present in the Great Lakes since the early 1990s and were first reported in the Winnebago System in June 2025.

To prevent the spread of round gobies, anglers are reminded not to use them as bait, release fish from one lake into another, or throw unwanted bait into the water. The DNR also asks anglers to report any catches of round gobies to help monitor the species’ presence.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.