Feb. 4, 2025
After only 17 minutes of fishing, this year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties) ended at 8:17 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. The season, which included spearing and hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 1-5, or until the harvest quota of six lake sturgeon had been reached.

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. Such a scenario occurred this year, as a seventh fish was harvested before notification of the season closure could be sent out.

There were 797 registered anglers this year. The harvested sturgeon ranged in size from 43.5 inches to 64 inches long and weighed 18.2 pounds to 78.3 pounds.

• The first fish was a 45.7-inch sturgeon that weighed 18.8 pounds.
• Fish number two was a 43.5-inch sturgeon that weighed 18.2 pounds.
• Fish three was a 46.1-inch sturgeon that weighed 19 pounds.
• Fish four was a 64-inch female that weighed 78.3 pounds.
• The fifth fish was a 56.7-inch fish that weighed 41.9 pounds.
• The sixth fish was a 51-inch fish that weighed 25.5 pounds.
• The seventh fish was a 60.5-inch fish that weighed 47.8 pounds.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is recommending removal of Trout Lake Dam in Gladwin County. The DNR is responsible for over 200 dams, many of which are declining in condition and need maintenance, including Trout Lake Dam. The deteriorating condition of the dam poses ecological and public safety risks, and removal was determined to be the best feasible option for balancing ecological benefits, public recreation and safety, and the DNR’s limited financial capacity for dam repair.

The 25-acre Trout Lake Dam impoundment provides recreational opportunities for the Trout Lake State Forest Campground and boating access site, which are located on the impoundment. Trout Lake Dam was built in 1961 and is located within state forest lands in the Gladwin Field Trial Area. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the expected lifespan of dam is 50 years; the 63-year-old Trout Lake Dam has exceeded its lifespan by 13 years. Efforts by DNR Fisheries staff to mitigate deteriorating components have been unsuccessful, and leakage has resulted in the water level lowering 7 feet below the normal impoundment elevation.

A 2024 inspection by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy — the state agency that regulates dams — determined that Trout Lake Dam was in poor condition and required remedial action. Due to ecological changes in the region and changes in fisheries management best practices, the dam is no longer critical for managing the resource, and funding is not available for repair expenses and subsequent required routine maintenance and operation costs.

As a next step, the DNR Fisheries Division will pursue EGLE permits to draw down the impoundment as necessary to address immediate public safety concerns, then seek removal funding. Currently, no changes are planned for the campground, and recreational users can take advantage of similar fishing opportunities available nearby. Read more

The effort to reintroduce Arctic grayling to Michigan waters will enter its next phase with a ceremony Monday, May 12, at the Oden State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center in Alanson, Michigan.

At this event, the Department of Natural Resources will provide a total of approximately 400,000 grayling eggs to the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. These partners will reintroduce the eggs at locations along the North Branch of the Manistee River, the Maple River and the Boardman-Ottaway River. Read more

With cold temperatures becoming more consistent throughout the state, more people are enjoying ice fishing, skating, hockey and other outdoor adventures. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources urges everyone to have fun but always use caution when venturing onto or near ice.

“Even during consistent cold stretches, pressure cracks in the ice can develop within hours,” said Lt. Skip Hagy, DNR law enforcement supervisor in Newberry. “There is no such thing as ‘safe’ ice. Always check conditions for yourself; don’t rely on what you see others doing or what they tell you.”

River mouths and other places where river or lake currents may be located are often places of unstable ice. Reservoirs with changing water levels also require great caution.

Frozen bodies of water should be checked very carefully before braving the ice. While there is no perfectly reliable method to determine if ice is safe, you can use a spud, needle bar or auger to test the thickness and quality of ice.

“Keep in mind that warm spells as brief as one day may weaken the ice,” Hagy said. “Melting ice during the day only partially refreezes at night, creating a thin layer of unstable ice.” Read more

Jan. 8, 2025

A successful fall fish stocking season means future fishing opportunities

The Department of Natural Resources worked hard this past fall to stock fish in waters across Michigan — fish that will provide anglers with more opportunities in seasons to come. The fall 2024 effort saw DNR crews stock seven different species at 78 locations throughout the state; in all, 590,504 fish, weighing in at 10.7 tons, were added to Michigan waters.

Releasing fingerlings in Baraga, MI

“It was another exceptional fall fish stocking season, enhancing fishing opportunities throughout Michigan,” said DNR Fish Production Program manager Aaron Switzer. “Combined with our successful spring and summer stocking efforts, that brings the total for 2024 to more than 9.7 million fish stocked in Michigan’s waters.”

The number and type of fish stocked vary by hatchery, as each facility’s ability to rear fish differs due to water supply and temperature. In Michigan, there are six state and three cooperative hatcheries that work together to produce the species, strain and size of fish needed by fisheries managers. These fish must then be delivered at a specific time and location for stocking to ensure their success.

In general, fish are reared in Michigan’s state fish hatcheries anywhere from one month to 1 1/2 years before they are stocked. Most fish in Michigan are stocked in the spring, but some fish are stocked in the fall because they require less time and fewer resources to rear in hatcheries, and may adjust better to new environments as they are younger and more adaptable to change.

Seven species were stocked this fall: Atlantic salmon, brook trout, brown trout, lake trout, rainbow trout (Eagle Lake and steelhead strains), walleye and muskellunge. Read more