Tiny Quagga Mussels Have Big Impact on Lake Michigan . . . And Perhaps Climate Change

July 17, 2017

By Marie Zhuikov

As prior researchers have demonstrated, Wisconsin Sea Grant researchers further confirm that the tiny quagga mussel has an outsize impact on Lake Michigan. What’s novel about the study team’s work is the exploration of the age-old biological truth: what goes in must come out. They found the invasive mussels’ sheer numbers and feeding efficiency are changing the lake’s ecosystem dynamics. Perhaps the climate, as well.

Laodong Guo and his graduate student Stephen DeVilbiss, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, looked at the impacts of quagga mussels from an aquatic chemist’s point of view in a paper published this year in the Journal of Great Lakes Research. They took measurements in Lake Michigan and collected mussels from the lake. They brought the mussels into the lab to assess filtration and excretion rates, and the type of things excreted to better understand their role in the lake’s carbon cycle.

The researchers found that the mussels are highly efficient; each one can filter up to 578 gallons of water every year, with younger, smaller mussels pumping more efficiently. In addition to feces, the mussels excrete dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus, and they “breathe” out carbon dioxide into the water -- so much carbon dioxide, in fact, that it could impact the climate.

“There are so many mussels that the carbon dioxide they release into the water, which gets into the air, may add to the problem of global warming,” Guo said. “Normally, in places like the ocean environment, the water absorbs carbon dioxide. However, Lake Michigan is somewhat oversaturated with carbon dioxide because of the quagga mussels. We need to look at whether this is causing acidification in the lake.”

Estimates of the number of quagga mussels in Lake Michigan by NOAA researchers range from 750 to 950 trillion. More information about how quagga mussels are impacting carbon dioxide dynamics in Lake Michigan and other Great Lakes can be found in a paper Guo and his postdoc, Peng Lin, published last year in Nature’s Scientific Reports.

Another impact the researchers found from their field studies is that quagga mussels are changing the way phosphorous is cycled in the lake. Normally, the amount of phosphorous, a vital nutrient needed for diatoms and other species important in the food web, rises during the winter when it is released from particulate matter resuspended from coastal sediment during storm events and turbulence. The sediment then gets transported from shallow areas to deeper regions in the lake.

“Because quagga mussels carpet the bottom of the lake, the resuspension of phosphorus during winter and during storms is less than it used to be,” Guo said. “When we compare data from

before and after the invasion of the quagga mussels, we find there’s only about one third to less than half of the amount of total phosphorus present in the winter water column.”

Guo thinks these findings will be useful for fishery and environmental managers and Great Lakes researchers. He plans further investigations into how the mussels are impacting the lake’s nutrient and carbon cycling. “It’s kind of unbelievable how the vast numbers of tiny quagga mussels are changing Lake Michigan,” Guo said.

DNR seeks feedback on Lake Michigan management strategies

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will convene three public meetings in late June to discuss management strategies and opportunities for Lake Michigan in light of continued challenges facing salmon populations and the alewives they feed on.

The meetings will focus on a variety of potential management actions to ensure continued diverse opportunities for sport anglers. Topics for discussion will include finding the right species mix, use of net pens, hatchery production, habitat restoration and the potential to increase focus on species with the greatest chances of thriving given the record low levels of open water forage fish such as alewives and rainbow smelt.

The initiative represents part of an ongoing effort by DNR to ensure anglers' voices are heard as ecological changes continue to alter Lake Michigan's food web. The meetings follow announcement of a proposal by the Lake Michigan Committee, a multistate organization charged with managing the Lake Michigan fishery, to reduce lake-wide stocking of chinook salmon by 61.5 percent from current levels, beginning in 2017.

This proposed reduction would equate to a 56 percent chinook salmon reduction (from 810,000 to 355,000) for Wisconsin. The other states that border Lake Michigan would also take significant chinook salmon stocking reductions through this proposal. Michigan would go from 560,000 to 200,000, Illinois would go from 230,000 to 90,000 and Indiana would go from 200,000 to 45,000. The fisheries managers across Lake Michigan believe that these reductions are necessary to maintain quality growth rates and healthy chinook for the fishery and to avoid a crash of the alewife forage base of the lake. Stocking has been a critical management tool to control alewives and provide a fantastic fishery over the years and while we have had to make reductions in the past, Wisconsin is still a leader in chinook salmon stocking.

"Since 2011, Wisconsin DNR has held more than 40 meetings, public input opportunities and attended sport and commercial meetings to work with anglers in developing a shared vision for management of our prized Lake Michigan fishery," said Todd Kalish, deputy director of DNR's fisheries bureau. "Recent data, including acoustic and trawl surveys, shows a continued decline in alewife populations and the predator-prey ratio has reached the tipping point. By working with anglers, we hope to preserve the salmon fishery to the greatest extent possible while developing and accessing options to enhance and maintain a diverse fishery. There is a framework in place that informs managers on the appropriate level of salmon and trout stocking numbers in Lake Michigan. This level can go up and down based on the available information that we are continually evaluating and upgrading."

Kalish said economic hardships caused by collapse of the salmon fishery in Lake Huron starting in 2003-04 offer a cautionary tale for Wisconsin given the more than $114.3 million in annual retail expenditures by Great Lakes sport anglers here. By working to preserve Lake Michigan's salmon fishery, DNR and its partners in surrounding states aim to navigate through the current predator-prey challenges to preserve and protect this economically important fishery into the future.

"We are particularly concerned about the many charter fishing operators on these waters and will be working to identify new opportunities to promote the diverse Lake Michigan fishing opportunities," Kalish said.

If this proposal is implemented, Wisconsin fishery managers would continue efforts to ensure a fall salmon run in Lake Michigan Rivers and streams in 10 counties. Anglers attending the upcoming meetings will be asked to provide feedback on Wisconsin's plans to distribute chinook salmon at locations including Strawberry Creek Rearing Facility, Green Bay and Lake Michigan tributaries or ports in Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Kewaunee, Door, Oconto and Marinette counties.

Brad Eggold, DNR southern Lake Michigan fisheries supervisor, said that while chinook salmon would remain an essential part of the diverse Lake Michigan fishery, going forward, species that show more adaptability in their feeding preferences may play a larger role. In addition to chinook, each year DNR stocks hundreds of thousands of coho salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout at more than 40 locations along the Lake Michigan coast. The Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan also receive about 800,000 lake trout produced by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Working with anglers, we intend to use a variety of techniques to optimize survival of stocked trout and salmon," Eggold said. "At the same time, we will continue to work with stakeholders on projects to enhance the salmon and trout fishery on Lake Michigan. We also intend to review our management practices to ensure we are able to respond quickly as new information becomes available."

The three meetings are set for 6 to 8 p.m.:

• Monday, June 27, Lakeshore Technical College, Centennial Hall West, 1290 North Ave., Cleveland, WI 53015
• Wednesday, June 29, Brown County Library, Auditorium, 515 Pine St. , Green Bay, WI 54301
• Thursday, June 30, UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences, Ballroom, 600 E. Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53204

To learn more about Lake Michigan fisheries management including historic stocking trends visit DNR.wi.gov and search "Fishing Lake Michigan." More information about the meetings can be found here:  http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/lakemichigan/LakeMichiganSalmonandTroutMeetings.html

New National Marine Sanctuary Much Closer to a Berth in Wisconsin

Oct. 5, 2015

By Moira Harrington

Wisconsin Sea Grant welcomed President Obama’s announcement today that the nation’s newest NOAA national marine sanctuary is moving closer to a designation along the Lake Michigan shoreline in Manitowoc, Sheboygan or Ozaukee counties and in the waters in a location to be determined, having met preliminary national significance criteria and management considerations. As proposed, it encompasses 875 square miles.

The Wisconsin sanctuary is currently on a so-called inventory list and now heads into a more intensive public comment period and scoping, preparation of an environmental impact statement and a management plan. Once those processes are complete, the clock would start ticking toward official designation. The timeframe for those actions is not fully known but could range from months to a year. If successful, Wisconsin would host only one of 14 National Marine Sanctuaries and only the second one in fresh water.

The Wisconsin site has been selected, in large measure, based on the success of shipwreck explorations in state waters of Lake Michigan. There are 59 Wisconsin shipwrecks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, far more than any other state. Of that number, a proposed 15 would be within the designated sanctuary boundaries. Another 24 known wrecks are in the proposed sanctuary but are not, at this point, on the register.

Since the 1990s, Sea Grant has supported maritime explorations through grant funding in collaboration with the Wisconsin Historical Society’s (WHS) maritime archeology program.

In addition to shipwreck exploration, mapping and registration for protection, the Sea Grant-WHS partnership extends public understanding of the nautical past by creating and sharing land-based signage that explains the shipwrecks’ significance; preparing geocaches, which are an innovative, accessible and active way to extend the learning; and co-hosting an entertaining and informative website, wisconsinshipwrecks.org.           

“Wisconsin has a rich maritime heritage and an equally rich legacy of preserving that heritage,” said Jim Hurley, Sea Grant’s director. “We are thrilled the national panel looking at siting the newest sanctuary has chosen the Great Lakes to move forward. It means continued historic preservation, along with tourism for an important area of the state and highlights an important ecosystem.” 

Marine sanctuaries are now found in Lake Huron, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and touch states such as Hawaii, Texas, California and Massachusetts. Sanctuaries are established to protect natural and cultural features while allowing people to use and enjoy the waters in a sustainable way. No disruption of commercial or recreational activities occurs. Sanctuary waters provide a secure habitat for species close to extinction and protect historically significant shipwrecks and artifacts. Sanctuaries also serve as natural classrooms and laboratories.

Wisconsin applied for the sanctuary designation in December 2014 and competed against four other proposed locations. After an initial screening, Wisconsin and a site on the Potomac River emerged as the strongest applicants. The review panel was impressed by the broad range of support for the Lake Michigan proposal from the governor’s office on behalf of the state of Wisconsin; the cities of Two Rivers, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Port Washington; Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties; NGOs and area businesses. The Wisconsin Coastal Management Program, along with the WHS, were also highly instrumental in the application process.

The sanctuary’s application reads, in part, “The proposed Wisconsin sanctuary encompasses a key portion of an early transportation corridor that was critical to the expansion of the United States and the development of the agricultural and the industrial core of the nation.” 

Details on how to participate in the public comment period on the proposal are at sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin/

Request for Volunteers for this Saturday, August 1st…

Just a reminder that we have the Brew City Fish Tournament that benefits Hunger Task Force this Saturday. If anyone can spare a few hours amongst fellow fisherman, we'd love to have you help us out!

Plan on being ready to help at McKinley Marina by 11:00 at the cleaning station. If you have a regular fillet knife or an electric filet knife please bring it.

If you know of anyone else that can help with cleaning or be a runner, we can get done sooner. I need a final count of volunteers by Thursday please. Last year we cleaned about 1,400 pounds of fish.

To volunteer – call: 414-467-6658

Directions to Park

Brews City Fish Tournament Information

Hunger Task Force Information

No Asian carp environmental DNA found after additional testing in Lower Fox River

MADISON, Wis. -- Additional tests for Asian carp environmental DNA in the Lower Fox River have come back negative, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials said.

Bob Wakeman, aquatic invasive species coordinator for DNR, said the additional tests were requested after one out of 200 sample collected in June and July from the Lower Fox River tested positive for silver carp. The latest round of testing - by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - included collecting 200 additional samples from the Lower Fox River on two days of sampling in the weeks following the initial results.

"We're pleased that the results came back negative and it's a good indication there are no live silver carp in the river," Wakeman said. "We're particularly grateful to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their work in carrying out the water sampling and analysis. Through continued monitoring and the preventive efforts of Wisconsin anglers, waterfowl hunters, recreational boaters and commercial partners, we hope to keep Asian carp out of Lake Michigan."

Asian carp pose significant ecological and economic threats to the Great Lakes region and its fishery because they eat voraciously and compete directly with valuable native fish for food. Asian carp species including bighead and silver carp were introduced into the southern United States in the 1970s.

The tests for eDNA are extremely sensitive and can detect genetic material shed in mucus or excrement from fish as well as from birds that have eaten the fish elsewhere. Contaminated bilge water also can carry traces of the fish and the latest negative results suggest the source of eDNA from the summer sampling originated from a temporary source.

While the genetic fingerprints are clear enough to identify specific invasive carp species, the eDNA testing program relies on multiple positive samples over time to indicate the likelihood of live fish. The single positive result among 1,950 samples from Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Michigan in June and July followed by the negative results returned this week recalls a similar situation in 2013. Then, a single positive sample from the Sturgeon Bay area was followed by all negative results.

In addition to the federal eDNA monitoring, DNR fisheries team members conduct a variety of netting, electroshocking and trawling operations in state waters. To date, these efforts have not captured any Asian carp in any waters of the Lower Fox River, Green Bay or Lake Michigan.

DNR encourages anglers and others to review Asian carp identification materials, to report any sightings of Asian carp and to make sure that bait buckets don't inadvertently contain the fish because young Asian carp resemble popular bait species. Photo identification tools and more information on Asian carp can be found on DNR's website, dnr.wi.gov, by searching "Asian carp."

DNR to provide highlights of Lake Michigan comments at Fisheries Forum event

CLEVELAND, Wis. — Leaders from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries team will summarize high priority comments and seek additional feedback on the Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan at Wednesday’s (Sept. 17) meeting of the Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum.

The event, free and open to the public, runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lakeshore Technical College, 1290 North Avenue, Cleveland, Wis. The meeting will be in the Cleveland Training Room.

The Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan will guide fisheries management of the lake for the next 10 years. While much has been accomplished through the previous 10 year plan, major ecological changes including the arrival and proliferation of aquatic invasive species such as the quagga mussel have made the lake less productive.

Input from anglers and other stakeholders is critical in developing the plan and the public comment period has been extended. Brad Eggold, Lake Michigan fisheries supervisor, said the Fisheries Forum meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the high priority comments already received and solicit additional feedback.

“The Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum’s connection with the Sea Grant Institute provides an opportunity for participants to share their wealth of knowledge about the lake,” Eggold said. “We anticipate the Fisheries Forum members will offer some innovative insights into the opportunities and challenges ahead.”

The Lake Michigan Fisheries Forum provides members with the latest in research, management news and trends affecting the lake. The forum is facilitated by the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute and operates independently from DNR. Representatives from major sport fishing clubs on Lake Michigan and Green Bay, commercial fishers, the Conservation Congress and the University of Wisconsin System are formal members of the forum. Meetings are open to the public.

Comments on the Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan can be sent by email to DNRLakeMichiganPlan@wisconsin.gov or by mail to: Wisconsin DNR, Attn: David Boyarski, 110 S. Neenah Ave., Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235. Details of the plan can be found on the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov by searching for keywords "Lake Michigan plan."

Reminder: Public meetings kick off Aug. 4 for Lake Michigan fisheries management plan

MADISON — The state is revising its long-term fisheries management plan for Wisconsin's Lake Michigan waters and citizens are invited to provide input through a series of four meetings set for the week of Aug. 4.

Lake Michigan has seen drastic ecological changes in recent years and the new Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan will guide fisheries management from 2015-2024.

Hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the meetings run from 6 to 8 p.m. and are set for:

• Monday, Aug. 4, Green Bay - Wisconsin DNR Green Bay Service Center, 2984 Shawano Ave.
• Tuesday, Aug. 5, Cleveland - Lakeshore Technical College, 1290 North Ave.
• Thursday, Aug. 7, Milwaukee - at UW-Milwaukee GLRF-SFS, 600 E. Greenfield Ave.
• Thursday, Aug. 7, Peshtigo - Wisconsin DNR Peshtigo Service Center, 101 N. Ogden Road.

Wisconsin’s DNR manages Lake Michigan fisheries in partnership with other state, federal and tribal agencies and in consultation with the public, particularly sport and commercial fishers. The draft plan was developed in consultation with a variety of stakeholders and included previous opportunities for public input.

People who are interested in commenting can find the draft plan and summary information on the DNR's website, dnr.wi.gov, by searching for "Lake Michigan Plan." In addition to providing verbal comments at the public meetings, written comments can be sent to a special email address created for the plan: DNRLakeMichiganPlan@Wisconsin.gov. Written comments also can be mailed to: Brad Eggold, Department of Natural Resources, Great Lakes Water Institute, 600 E. Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53204.

The Department will use the comments received at the August meetings and through other contacts this summer and fall to complete a final draft plan ready for final department administrative review by December.

Comments sought on Lake Michigan fisheries management plan update

MADISON — The state is revising its long-term fisheries management plan for Wisconsin's Lake Michigan waters and invites citizens to provide input during a second round of public review. Lake Michigan has seen drastic ecological changes in recent years and the new plan will guide fisheries management through the next 10 years. 

“We listened to what the public said during an initial public input session and incorporated some of those ideas along with our own thoughts in this draft 10-year plan,” said Brad Eggold, Lake Michigan fisheries supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. “Now, it’s time to see whether we are on track with the expectations and desires of the public. We’re planning a second round of meetings in early August to give stakeholders additional opportunities for input." 

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/lakemichigan/LakeMichiganIntegratedFisheriesManagementPlan.html

The meetings are set for:

• Monday, Aug. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m., Wisconsin DNR Green Bay Service Center, 2984 Shawano Avenue, Green Bay, WI, 54313
• Tuesday, Aug. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lakeshore Technical College, 1290 North Avenue, Cleveland, WI, 53015
• Thursday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at UW–Milwaukee GLRF-SFS, 600 E. Greenfield Avenue, Milwaukee, WI, 53204
• Thursday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Wisconsin DNR Peshtigo Service Center, 101 N. Ogden Road, Peshtigo, WI, 54157

Wisconsin’s DNR manages Lake Michigan fisheries in partnership with other state, federal and tribal agencies and in consultation with the public, particularly sport and commercial fishers. The draft 2015-2024 Lake Michigan Integrated Fisheries Management Plan focuses on five areas or visions for the future: 

• A balanced, healthy ecosystem. This vision focuses on protecting and maintaining habitat while minimizing the effects of invasive species.
• A multi-species sport fishery. This vision includes sustaining a salmon and trout species mix that supports sport harvests. Other elements include improvements to the statewide fish hatchery system that produces fish for Lake Michigan and enhanced near-shore fishing opportunities.
• A sustainable and viable commercial fishery. This aspect of the plan centers on maintaining the current number of commercial fishing licenses at 80 while adjusting harvest limits to sustain viable populations of key commercial species such as lake whitefish, yellow perch, round whitefish, rainbow smelt and bloater chubs over time.
• Application of science-based management principles. This vision recognizes the ongoing need for staff training, the ability to employ continually evolving tools and modeling technologies, inter-jurisdictional cooperation and the involvement of trained scientists as well as public stakeholders.
• Effective internal and external communication. This vision focuses on maintaining a full and open exchange of information and ideas among the public, elected officials, fisheries managers and neighboring states.

“Over the last 10-year planning cycle, we have made good progress and accomplished much of what we set out to do in our previous plan," Eggold said. “We’ve managed chinook salmon populations to fuel a decade of fantastic fishing. Supplies of trout and salmon for stocking have been enhanced following renovation of the Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery while sturgeon and musky stocking also has improved. In addition, we’ve removed some barriers to fish passage and constructed a natural fish passage on the Milwaukee River.” 

However, over the last decade Lake Michigan has undergone major ecological changes and is less productive due to the arrival and proliferation of the exotic quagga mussel. These small freshwater mussels remove large quantities of plankton as they filter the water, short circuiting the food chain and ultimately leaving less for prey fish to eat while negatively impacting some important fish species such as yellow perch. 

Beyond the difficulties caused by invasive species, an additional challenge is the need to maintain, update and operate the state’s fish production system, including renovating the Kettle Moraine Springs State Fish Hatchery in Sheboygan County, which produces all the steelhead rainbow trout stocked in Lake Michigan. 

"Given the challenges and opportunities before us, input from anglers and others is critical in developing a plan that keeps Lake Michigan healthy and reflects the interests of sport and commercial anglers," Eggold said. 

People who are interested in commenting can find the draft plan and summary information on the DNR's website, dnr.wi.gov, by searching for "Lake Michigan Plan." In addition to providing verbal comments at the public meetings, written comments can be sent to a special email address created for the plan: DNRLakeMichiganPlan@Wisconsin.gov. Written comments also can be mailed to: Brad Eggold, Department of Natural Resources, Great Lakes Water Institute, 600 E. Greenfield Ave., Milwaukee, WI, 53204.

Yellow Perch Summit update

The Illinois DNR and Great Lakes Fishery Commission recently hosted a Yellow Perch Summit at the U of Illinois Chicago campus to consider that question.

The natural resources agencies, organizations, and individuals who were there are committed to working together on lakewide efforts to sustain the perch fishery in the lake. Lake Michigan fish populations know no state or other boundaries. Their management requires cooperation among all of us. Presentations by invited experts at the summit detailed the status of yellow perch in Lake Michigan, and why fewer perch than decades ago may be the new “normal.”

Offshore productivity in Lake Michigan is much lower today than it was during the last “heyday” for perch fishing in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Productivity is now very similar to Lake Superior, the larger and colder Great Lake to the north. The food web for yellow perch in Lake Michigan also has changed due to the presence of invasive mussels, spiny water fleas and round gobies. Changes in productivity and the food web mean less food is available, which affects perch recruitment, or the number of fish reaching reproductive age. Low or inconsistent recruitment means fewer perch are available for anglers to catch. Clearer water in the lake also may mean adult perch spend less time near-shore in the summer, another factor that can affect perch fishing success.

Since the early 1990s, when yellow perch populations declined rapidly in Lake Michigan, fisheries managers have closed commercial fishing, and implemented restrictions to protect yellow perch from further declines. For sport fishing in Illinois, those restrictions include a 15-fish daily limit, and a closure for perch fishing during July (except for youth under age 16, who can catch up to 10 perch a day during the July closure.

These management efforts may have prevented a total collapse of the perch fishery, but data presented at the summit show lakewide perch abundance remains low. The option of stocking perch was discussed, but is likely impractical because stocking larger fingerlings that could survive in today’s Lake Michigan would be incredibly expensive. There is also a danger that stocking might introduce new diseases or poorly adaptive genetic traits to existing perch stocks.

We heard calls from Illinois anglers for easing or eliminating the July closure of perch fishing in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan, and instead closing fishing during the spring spawning season. These changes in management are under consideration.

Though easy fixes may be elusive, IDNR remains dedicated to the pursuit of management efforts we hope will lead to recovery of yellow perch in Lake Michigan. That means using sound science, sharing data, and working toward consensus among all partners on coordinated management goals and strategies to improve perch fishing and other Lake Michigan fishing for future generations.

If you missed the summit, the presentations and other information are archived online at this link: http://www.glfc.org/lakecom/lmc/yellow_perch_videos.html.

Source: Great Lakes Basin Report

Researchers Identify New Burbot Spawning Behavior

March 10, 2014

By Marie Zhuikov

It’s a winter’s night on Lake Michigan. Underwater in the shallows, the eel-like and lowly burbot gather in a brown writhing mass to spawn. With their serpentine bodies and dangly chin barbels, it’s not a pretty picture, but the activity ensures the species’ survival as one of the top predators in the food chain along with lake trout.

Wisconsin Sea Grant scientists have discovered that burbot spawn in deep reefs and also later in the season than previously known. Their findings, recently published in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, add a fifth spawning behavior to those already identified for burbot.

Burbot, known in Latin as Lota lota from the French word for codfish, are the only species of cod that live entirely in fresh water. Also known as eelpout, lawyer and lingcod, the burbot is prized for its delicate white meat. A popular restaurant on Washington Island off the Door Peninsula, KK Fiske, draws patrons from as far away as Chicago by offering “fresh lawyers” throughout the year prepared fried, boiled, broiled and shish kebabed. However, just as many anglers are put off by the burbot’s eel-like appearance and penchant for wrapping its tail around their arms as they try to unhook it.

For the study, conducted in 2007 and 2008, researchers collected burbot larvae in lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron during spring and summer. While burbot are known to spawn in landlocked lakes and Great Lakes tributaries in winter (January to March), and in rocky shallow waters of the Great Lakes, researchers found burbot larvae at deep reefs in the middle of Lake Michigan and offshore areas of Lake Huron in June through August, signifying that burbot spawn later and deeper than previously understood.

John Janssen, professor of fisheries ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said the finding was accidental. “We were working on collecting bloater larvae, and we were surprised by the number of burbot we collected on the midlake reef. We were also surprised that we were seeing them in late June. They were really tiny, which means they were just born. This implies there’s a concentration of burbot on those mid-lake reefs.”

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Third highest coho harvest on record, best since 1982

MILWAUKEE -- Lake Michigan anglers in 2011 recorded the highest harvest of coho salmon in three decades and the third highest on record since the state started stocking salmon and trout in the 1960s, according to recently released results from angler surveys.

"Coho fishing for Wisconsin anglers on Lake Michigan last year was the best it's been since 1982," says Brad Eggold, Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor for Southern Lake Michigan. "Boaters were fishing hard for coho from April to early August and focused on these abundant and easily catchable fish."

The 2011 season for coho salmon ran much longer than previous years and the fish were close to shore and easily accessible by most boat anglers, Eggold says. Those factors helped propel this year's estimated harvest to 157,367 coho, more than triple the 42,445 coho harvested the previous year.

The coho harvest total also was the third highest ever recorded in Wisconsin since DNR started stocking Pacific strain salmon and trout in the 1960s to control populations of alewife, a nonnative species that was washing ashore and collecting in huge, rotting piles on Lake Michigan beaches.

Angler harvests of rainbow trout and lake trout were also up in 2011, while chinook and brown trout harvests were down from 2010. Wisconsin anglers in 2011 harvested 75,442 rainbow trout, up from 49,121 in 2010, and 17,788 lake trout, up slightly from 17,483.

The chinook harvest was down with 169,752 fish caught in 2011, about half of the previous year's harvest of 315,294 and lower than the 10-year-average of 300,000 fish, Eggold says.

"Since the coho salmon fishery was so successful in 2011, many anglers opted to fish for them instead of for chinook salmon, which were found in deeper water farther offshore," he says. "Once anglers located the chinook in mid-August, most of the summer fishing season was over and that contributed to the lower harvest."

Eggold says that the number of chinook returning to the weir DNR operates on Strawberry Creek in Door County was above average, and in fact was up almost 100 percent from the previous year, which indicates that fewer fish were harvested by anglers.

The lower harvest also reflected in part that there are fewer chinook in the lake. Stocking reductions lakewide were implemented in 1999 and 2006 to better match the number of chinook in the lake with available forage.

May 1 and May 8 meetings to address concerns over forage base and stocking

While the lake-wide chinook stocking reductions have helped better balance game fish and prey fish populations, biologists believe those reductions have not been enough and are concerned that the forage base is weakening. The need to keep the number of predators stocked in line with available forage will be the topic of public meetings in Milwaukee May 1 and Green Bay on May 8.

Recent surveys indicate that older alewife are becoming scarce in Lake Michigan, the year-class produced in 2011 was not good, and computer modeling done by Michigan State University researchers predicts a potential mismatch into the future, Eggold says.

Despite such concerns, however, the near-term fishing prospects look good, Eggold says. "Early fishing reports for 2012 are showing that anglers are catching good numbers of brown trout, coho and chinook salmon, so the fishing season is off to a good start," Eggold says. "We're asking anglers now to help us make some decisions to keep their fishing strong in the future."

The Future of Salmon and Trout Stocking in Lake Michigan

Five species of salmon and trout support a world-class recreational fishery in Lake Michigan. Stocking has played an important role in maintaining the balance between predators and baitfish, such as the non-native alewife, since the late 1960s. If too many salmon and trout are in the lake, baitfish decline and salmon starve or fall prey to disease. If too few salmon and trout are in the lake, the non-native alewife could foul beaches and affect native species.

Ongoing research is being used to investigate the possibility that changes to stocking policy could improve fisheries and limit the risk of predator-prey imbalance. Fisheries managers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana will set a stocking policy for Lake Michigan salmon and trout by fall of 2012.

Lake Michigan Salmon Stocking Workshop
Lake Michigan College, Benton Harbor, Michigan
Saturday, April 14, 2012
1:00–4:30 PM (Eastern)

This half-day workshop is open to the public at no charge. Participants will learn more about specific options for stocking policy and have the opportunity to speak with fisheries managers about the future of Lake Michigan fisheries.

• Registration Form
• Agenda (PDF)
• Map (JPG)

Additional Resources

• Revisiting Stocking Policy for Lake Michigan
• Lake Michigan Salmon Stocking Cuts Being Considered
• Status of Pelagic Prey Fishes in Lake Michigan, 2011 (PDF)
• Status and Trends of Prey Fish Populations in Lake Michigan, 2011 (PDF)
• Status of Lake Michigan Salmonines in 2011 (PDF)

Source: WDNR, Michigan Sea Grant

Fish egg collection facilities start operating March 20

Public invited to watch Lake Michigan fish

KEWAUNEE -- Recent warm weather has state egg collection facilities up and running earlier than usual to produce the next generation of Lake Michigan trout and salmon. The public is invited to come along and watch the process and see the fish up close through viewing windows as they “climb” the fish ladder into the facilities.

The C.D. Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility in Kewaunee County along with the Root River Steelhead facility in Racine County are both checking fish for the first time March 20. Watch the video showing the egg collection process.

Both facilities turned on the pumps last week to send river water through the fish ladder and facilities in preparation for egg collection and juggled getting fish out the door at some hatcheries from last year before getting ready for this year's take.

“Everything is on the fast track this year,” says John Komassa, southeastern Wisconsin Hatchery group leader for the Department of Natural Resources. “At the Root River, we're about a week ahead of normal.”

At the Besadny facility, they're starting operation a week ahead of what's normal and three weeks ahead of when they turned on the pumps in 2011 during a cold and late spring, says Mike Baumgartner, facility manager.

“The recent warmer weather made the ice go out sooner and because the ice was going out and the snow was melting, the water levels in the river went up,” he says. “That’s a trigger that attracts the fish, as well as daylight and water temperatures.”

Lake Michigan trout and salmon do not successfully reproduce in the warmer temperatures and fluctuating water levels found in Wisconsin tributaries to Lake Michigan. So DNR gives them a hand. Once the eggs and milt have been collected from the fish, the fish are released back to the rivers for anglers to catch. The eggs are fertilized on site and sent to state hatcheries where they are incubated, hatched, and stocked back in the river more than a year later.

This year, the Besadny facility turned on its pumps March 15 and overnight had about 100 fish move into the collection ponds, Baumgartner says. “We are scheduled to sort through our fish Monday for the first time and then at least weekly, more often if the run is strong enough, through about mid-April to continue sorting and spawning fish from the length of the run.”

The Besadny facility is located at 3884 Ransom Moore Lane, off of County Highway F, west of Kewaunee, on the west bank of the Kewaunee River. The site is open daily, dawn to dusk and the building is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. Baumgartner says that people who want to watch the egg processing will want to call ahead (920) 388-1025 to make sure it's going on that day and to come between 9 a.m. and noon.

The Root River facility is located on the Root River, inside Lincoln Park, in Racine. After March 20, DNR will be processing fish at the facility on Mondays, and thanks to a Salmon Unlimited volunteer, the viewing window is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Komassa says. People can call ahead to (262) 594-6218 to confirm the processing is occurring.

CLICK HERE to see uTube video regarding the Hatchery.

Root River Report–November 15, 2011

The following information is the latest fishing information for the Root River in Racine. We will post new information to this site every TUESDAY at 4:00 pm from September through December and from March through May. We will also update the number of fish processed at the Root River Steelhead Facility to give you the exact number of fish passed upstream. Depending on water conditions and number of fish in the weir, fish are usually processed on Mondays and Thursdays.
In addition, you can call our Lake Michigan Fishing Hotline at (414) 382-7920 highlighting to hear the latest fishing information for Lake Michigan and its tributaries or check out our Lake Michigan Outdoor Report

Root River Steelhead Facility

Lake Michigan trout and salmon don't successfully reproduce in Wisconsin streams, so DNR gives Mother Nature a hand. Watch fisheries crews collect eggs and milt from spawning fish to create the next generation of steelhead to challenge anglers on the big pond.

• Steelhead Spawning at Root River Steelhead Facility [VIDEO Length 3:16]

Root River Fishing Report for November 14, 2011

Water and flow conditions

The river was high and fast over the weekend, but is currently dropping. The water temperature was 46 degrees.

For up to date river conditions, check out the USGS web site of stream flow conditions [exit DNR] in Wisconsin.

Fishing Report

Upstream of the Weir
Fishing success was lower this weekend than it has been most of the fall, but that was likely due to the higher flows. Anglers caught coho, brown trout, and a couple of rainbow trout. Pink flies were most productive in the area from the Horlick dam downriver into Quarry Lake Park.

Downstream of the Weir
Fishing was slow below the weir, with only a few brown trout caught in Lincoln Park over the weekend.

Chinook harvests up 47 percent in 2010, outlook good for '11

MILWAUKEE -- Lake Michigan anglers had a banner year of chinook fishing in 2010, with favorable winds and other factors helping to increase harvest 47 percent, state fishery officials say.

"It looks like our chinook salmon harvest by Wisconsin anglers was really good in 2010," says Brad Eggold, the Department of Natural Resources fisheries supervisor for southern Lake Michigan, who just completed analyzing surveys of what anglers caught on that water in 2010. "I don't see any reason that 2011 would not be another solid year."

Eggold found that anglers harvested 315,294 chinook salmon from Lake Michigan in 2010, up from 214,621 in 2009 and 256,796 in 2008. More good news for Wisconsin anglers: they accounted for the bulk of the lake-wide haul.

[Full Story]

Sister Bay seeks stewardship grant for Waterfront Park addition

Sister Bay, Wis. – The Village of Sister Bay has applied for a grant from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program’s Urban Green Space fund to purchase approximately .96 acres of land along Lake Michigan to expand the Sister Bay Waterfront Park.

Sister Bay will provide the matching funds. The expanded park area will be available for hiking, cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, picnicking, fishing, swimming, and boating, including canoe and kayak. Purchase of this property will give the village ownership of the entire Sister Bay downtown shoreline, stretching from the north side of the Marina Park to the Sister Bay Yacht Club; totaling approximately,936 linear feet of public access to the waterfront.

The public can mail written comments on the proposed acquisition to Carrie Mickelson, Director, Division of Customer and Employee Services, care of Chris Halbur, 2984 Shawano Avenue, Green Bay, WI, 54313, or sent by e-mail to Christine.Halbur@Wisconsin.gov. Persons with questions about the project may call Chris Halbur at 920-662-5121. Written comments will be accepted through February 4, 2011.

In accordance with s. NR 52.04 (2) (b), Wis. Adm. Code, objections about the prohibited activities on this property must show that the proposed prohibition is inconsistent with s. 23.0916 (2) (b), Stats., and s. NR 52.05, Wis. Adm. Code.

"Open-House" at C.D. “Buzz” Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility

Attached is a short bonus video showing the process used to get the salmon eggs needed for the hatcheries. The fish that are hatched are eventually planted back into Lake Michigan.

John E.Durben video

Boats, baits and battling behemoth bass; It's Family Boat Day at the Cudahy Family Library

Being a city located on the Great Lake we call Michigan, numerous anglers and boaters are residents. So the Cudahy Family Library is featuring "Family Boat Day."

On Wednesday, July 21, 2010 from 4:00 - 7:30 pm, the library will display fishing boats, sailboats, canoes and kayaks. Activities such as crafts and storytimes, plus a representative from the Coast Guard, knot-tying techniques demonstrated by the Boy Scouts and informative displays on fly fishing lures, boating safety, zebra mussels, gobis and other invasive species and possible invasive species such as the big head carp are featured.

The library is located east of Patrick Cudahy at 3500 Library Drive, Cudahy, WI 53110. The phone number is (414) 769-2244.

Pick-up some FREE TIPS AND TECHNIQUES. Step inside and read or check out some fishing books. They are located in the northwest corner in the 799.1 area of the Dewey Decimal system.

NOTES:

1.) Look for upcoming articles on the pike family, the perch family, stonerollers and what panfish are eating.

The stoneroller is a native fish that is both hardy and active when hooked. It is a member of the minnow family as is the common carp. In Tennessee, the stoneroller is a popular food fish.

2.) When aquatic plants, aka "weeds," are cut or poisoned, small fish are immediately in trouble. Aquatic creatures requiring these plants for their survival can no longer do their jobs as food for the creatures and as the "Beanstalks" to the watery surfaces. Fish die-offs, such as the not-too-distant-past crappie die-offs on Racine County's Eagle Lake resulted from heavy weed poisoning that removed a major section of the food chain relied upon by crappies.

3.) Anglers looking to fish in tournaments can find some of the weekly local contests put on by taverns and bait shops.

by: L.A. Van Veghel

Fish Watching in Wisconsin

During this time of year, many fish are moving about in Wisconsin's waters. They are exciting to watch as they dance, wiggle, and sail through the shallow waters of our rivers and lakes to find their breeding places. Here are some hot spots for watching fish.