- (a) A person who takes any fish from a body of water shall not tag, mark, brand, clip any fin of, mutilate, or otherwise disfigure any fish in a manner that would prevent species identification, examination of fins, recovery of tags, or determination of sex, age, or length of the fish before releasing the fish back into the body of water, unless a permit authorizing this activity has been issued to that person by the department.
- (b) No person may possess any live fish upon departure from any body of water posted or designated by the department as an aquatic invasive species body of water, except during a department-permitted fishing tournament. During a department-permitted fishing tournament, any individual may possess live fish upon departure from designated aquatic invasive species waters along the most direct route to the weigh-in site if the individual possesses a department authorization certificate as a participant in the tournament.
- (c) No person may fish or collect bait within, from, or over a fish passage, fish ladder, fish steps, or fishway. "Fish passage, fish ladder, fish steps, or fishway" shall mean a structure that facilitates the natural migration of fish upstream on, through, or around an artificial barrier or dam.
(Authorized by and implementing K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 32-807; effective Nov. 20, 2009; amended Jan. 1, 2012; amended Jan. 1, 2013; amended Nov. 15, 2013; amended Nov. 14, 2014; amended Nov. 30, 2015; amended Nov. 28, 2016; amended Dec. 22, 2017; amended Jan. 11, 2019; amended Dec. 20, 2019; amended Dec. 25, 2020; amended Sept. 15, 2023; amended July 19, 2024; amended May 8, 2026.)