Join the crew of the R/V Lake Char on a one-week research expedition on Lake Superior, courtesy of a short film that follows the DNR fisheries research vessel to Klondike Reef. The crew collected data on lake trout, an important native species in this Great Lake. Trout numbers have recently met recovery goals after disruption due to invasive species, pollution and overharvest.

You’ll learn about the crew’s roles, the fish sampling process, and why this research is important for managing Michigan’s fisheries. Fun fact: It was on this expedition that the oldest lake trout in the Great Lakes – 62 years old at the time of capture – was discovered!

“Some of the information we can apply to other offshore locations – places like Stannard Rock, Isle Royale and Big Reef – where we don’t know a lot about the fish, but the fish in areas like Klondike Reef might be similar,” said DNR fisheries technician Dan Traynor. “What we learned by studying the fish here may help us better understand and manage fish in those other offshore reef locations.”

Questions about the expedition? Email Shawn Sitar, research biologist who was the DNR lead for this project, at SitarS@Michigan.gov.

Wisconsinite Alan Hintz has been ice fishing for more than 50 years, and he’s fished a lot of places in that time: from small ponds in the Midwest to Canadian rivers to the famed waters of Lake Erie. Over the weekend, Alan and his brother Dale traveled to North Dakota, where they booked a trip on Devil’s Lake with Perch Patrol Guide Service.

“It was kind of a slow day to be honest,” Hintz tells Outdoor Life. “We were fishing Pelican Bay for most of the morning and only had three fish in the bucket by noon.”

That’s when their guide, Tyler Elshaug, decided it was time to make a change. Before he moved the two brothers, Elshaug drilled a couple prospect holes and tested them out himself.  More here…

Michigan’s new fishing license and regulation season begins Wednesday, April 1, so if you’re planning to hit the water, you’ll need to purchase a new fishing license. The 2026 fishing licenses are available for purchase now and are valid through March 31, 2027.

All anglers ages 17 and older are required to purchase a fishing license to fish public waters in Michigan; these licenses are good for all species, though additional reporting requirements apply to some species and fishing methods. Anglers can purchase the following:

• • An annual fishing license at $26 for Michigan residents or $76 for nonresidents (both carry an additional $1 surcharge).
  • A senior annual fishing license at $11 for Michigan residents 65 and older or residents who are legally blind (with additional $1 surcharge).
  • A daily fishing license at $10 per day for Michigan residents and nonresidents 17 and older (valid for 24 hours).
  • An optional youth fishing license, which is available at just $2 for anglers ages 16 and younger.

Read more

Join the crew of the R/V Lake Char on a one-week research expedition on in Lake Superior! This short film follows a fisheries research vessel to Klondike Reef, where the crew collects data on lake trout – an important native species in the lake that has recently met recovery goals after disruption due to invasive species, pollution, and overharvest. Learn about the crew’s roles, the fish sampling process, and why this research is important for managing Michigan’s fisheries.

Watch the Klondike Reef Expedition documentary ?

It was on this expedition that the oldest lake trout in the Great Lakes – 62 years old at the time of capture – was discovered!

One of the most versatile and effective lures for bass is the jerkbait. What was once thought of as an ideal prespawn and cold-water bait has become a versatile lure that works anywhere, year-round. Also, the baits have become even better and more refined, and the anglers casting them have found even more ways to use them. 

Restored reef in Saginaw Bay diversifies spawning habitat and promotes resilience

By JEFFREY JOLLEY, PhD., Southern Lake Huron unit manager
Fisheries Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and MARCEE WARDELL, communications specialist, Fisheries Division, Michigan DNR

Imagine a reef: sunlight streaming through the azure water reveals a vibrant underwater community, where fish, large and small, dart into holes and crevices or swim around the reef’s edges while other aquatic creatures make their homes or search for food.Did you think of a coral reef, covered in pink anemones and surrounded by brightly colored tropical fish like blue tang and clownfish?Now imagine a reef, with dappled sunlight and teeming with fish, in Lake Huron, in Saginaw Bay.Surprised?Maybe you shouldn’t be.Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories in our archive at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail.

Reefs used to be common in Saginaw Bay, and organizations like the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and others are working to restore reef habitat for the benefit of fish like lake whitefish and walleye, as well as many other aquatic species. The disappearance of rocky reefs Though corals did once thrive in the northern Lower Peninsula about 350 million years ago (the remains of which are now Petoskey stones), the reefs that existed in Saginaw Bay were rock reefs. Read more

Discover world-class fishing and the stunning beauty of a Michigan winter during Free Fishing Weekend! Feb. 14-15, residents and visitors can enjoy fishing without a license. All other fishing regulations apply.

Want to explore more? We are also waiving the Recreation Passport fee, and granting free vehicle entry to all 103 state parks and more than 1,000 DNR-managed boating access sites (where plowed).

Before you head out, please visit Michigan.gov/IceSafety for essential tips to ensure your on-ice activities are safe and enjoyable.

Feb. 9, 2026
Contact: Neal Godby, 231-340-2621 or Tim Cwalinski, 231-340-0276

This year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties of Michigan) ended at 8:48 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7. The season, which included spearing and hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 7-11, or until the harvest limit of six lake sturgeon had been reached – but just 48 minutes turned out to be enough time.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources set the harvest limit for the season at six fish, though anglers were allocated a season quota of seven sturgeon by agreement with tribal governments. This limit was placed to accommodate the expected number of anglers and anticipate the possibility of near simultaneous harvest of more than one fish, as occurred in 2025.

There were 679 registered anglers this year. The harvested sturgeon ranged in size from 52.9 inches to 67.2 inches long and weighed 40.4 pounds to 79.4 pounds.

• The first fish was a 61.5-inch male that weighed 50 pounds.
• Fish number two was a 64.1-inch female that weighed 78.4 pounds.
• Fish three was a 52.9-inch male that weighed 46.6 pounds.
• Fish four was a 67.2-inch female that weighed 79.4 pounds.
• The fifth fish was a 58.1-inch sturgeon that weighed 40.4 pounds.
• The sixth fish was a 62.5-inch female that weighed 58.4 pounds.

Only one of the harvested fish had not been captured before by Michigan State University and the DNR during spring spawning runs in the Black River or during past surveys of Black Lake. The sex of the fifth fish, which was not previously tagged, will be determined using DNA from fin clips collected when the fish was registered. Read more

Feb. 3, 2026
Five individuals received awards Monday at a Michigan Department of Natural Resources meeting at the Sagola Township Sportsmen’s Club in Dickinson County.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers Jennifer Lehto (Hanson) and Zach Painter, Michigan State Police Trooper Paul Maxinoski, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Capt. Steve Amsler and Susan Barrette, of Bergland, were recognized for their quick and effective actions that saved an angler’s life when he broke through the ice of Lake Gogebic in March 2024. Read more