We’re in the midst of our spring fish-stocking season, so you may be seeing DNR trucks releasing their prized cargo at hundreds of lakes and streams throughout the state.

Fish stocking is a valuable tool used by fisheries managers to restore, enhance and create new fishing opportunities in Michigan’s inland lakes, streams and the Great Lakes. he DNR accomplishes this by rearing fish at its six fish production facilities located throughout the state, cooperatively managing nearly 40 rearing ponds and six Great Lakes imprinting net pen locations, and maintaining a fleet of 18 specialized fish-stocking vehicles.

Over the course of a typical year, upwards of 20 million fish (weighing nearly 350 tons, including eight species of trout and salmon and three cool-water strains of walleye and muskellunge) are stocked. Beginning in mid-March and ending in early June, the DNR fish-stocking trucks will travel well over 100,000 miles to visit between 700 and 1,100 locations. Read more

The Upper Peninsula’s northern pike and walleye season opener is coming soon! On Tuesday, May 15, the season opens on all U.P. waters, including the Great Lakes, inland waters and the St. Marys River.

Please note, the season opener for muskellunge in the U.P. has changed – in addition to all other waters in Michigan. On all Great Lakes and inland waters, the St. Marys River, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair, the season doesn’t open until Saturday, June 2. But catch-and-immediate-release muskellunge fishing now is allowed on all waters all year.

Anglers can currently catch and immediately release largemouth and smallmouth bass on most waters statewide. The possession season for bass opens statewide on Saturday, May 26, except for Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River, which open on Saturday, June 16. Read more

WILSONVILLE, Ore. – FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced Wednesday the Raymarine Magnum™ high-performance open array radar featuring superior bird mode and beam sharpening technology. Including many of the same radar technologies trusted by the United States Coast Guard, Magnum offers enhanced target tracking, reliable performance, and superior image detail packaged in a sleek open array pedestal built to withstand the harsh marine environment.

Magnum is available in 4 kilowatt (kW) or 12kW power output options, with either a four-foot or six-foot antenna array. Magnum offers a maximum target identification range up to 96 nautical miles (nm) for 12kW models – ideal for blue water vessels – and up to 72nm for 4kW models. The perfect companion to Raymarine’s award-winning Axiom® and Axiom Pro multifunction navigation displays (MFD) running LightHouse™ 3, Magnum is also compatible with LightHouse 2-based Raymarine MFDs. Read more

New video gives tips on identification, response

Parrot feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum), an invasive aquatic plant, has been found in three private ponds in Michigan since 2013. Due to its aggressive growth, parrot feather – a popular aquarium plant sometimes sold under the name Brazilian watermilfoil – has been a prohibited species in Michigan since 2005.

Why be concerned?

Parrot feather prefers slow-moving, freshwater habitats including ponds, lakes and tributaries. Plants rooted in lake or stream beds can grow to 6 feet in length, extending above or across the water’s surface as dense mats of vegetation that block native plants, reduce fish habitat, and make fishing and boating difficult.

Because new plants readily sprout from stem fragments, removal efforts like raking or pulling may contribute to their spread. Failure to thoroughly remove plant debris from boats and trailers can allow parrot feather to hitchhike to new locations. Read more

Arctic grayling reintroduction supported by grant from Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation

Michigan’s historic effort to reintroduce Arctic grayling to the state’s waters will be supported by a grant of $11,000 from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation to the Michigan DNR’s Fisheries Division.

Arctic grayling thrived in northern Michigan’s cold-water streams until the onset of the 20th century. Fishermen and wildlife enthusiasts visited destinations such as the Au Sable River to see this beautiful fish. But by the 1930s, three factors contributed to their demise: habitat destruction from logging, overfishing and competition with introduced trout species. The local extinction of this wild, native fish was a tragic loss for Michigan. Read more

As this year’s open-water fishing season gets under way, anglers trying their luck on Michigan lakes, rivers and Great Lakes ports can expect to see Department of Natural Resources fisheries staff out and about collecting key data about those experiences.

DNR creel clerks are stationed at boat launches and piers around the state, asking anglers questions as they return from fishing trips. The clerks will ask about things like trip length, target species and the number and type of fish caught. In some cases, clerks may ask to measure or weigh fish and to take scales or other body parts for aging – these details provide key information that helps the DNR take care of the state’s fisheries.

“We really appreciate angler cooperation with these interviews, and it only takes a couple of minutes to answer the questions,” said DNR fisheries biologist Tracy Claramunt. “This program helps us gather information that is critical in managing fish populations and health. It’s information that truly is used in every aspect of our management efforts.” Read more

A 12-foot boat that folds. A paddleboard in a backpack. A kayak that blows up like a balloon. These folding and inflatable vessels are attracting attention as the Inflate-A-Fleet that is the centerpiece of the 2018 New York Sea Grant Discover Clean and Safe Boating campaign.

“These unique floating vessels are considered boats and are subject to applicable boating laws and standards,” says Dave White, a Great Lakes coastal recreation and tourism specialist with New York Sea Grant, Oswego, NY. “Every year we select a different style of boat to educate the public about how to be safe, in compliance with boating law, and environmentally-friendly on the water, and the Inflate-A-Fleet is doing that in 2018.”

With a Get Out on the Water: Everyone Can Enjoy Boating theme, the new traveling exhibit will visit boat shows, marinas and events to show how easily people, particularly the younger generation, can get involved in boating.

“As more and more people learn about the fabulous boating resources in New York State, it becomes increasingly more important to educate people of all ages about the best practices for safe, legal, and clean boating. New York Sea Grant is perfectly positioned to extend those practices to the public in both the Great Lakes and marine districts,” comments Katherine Bunting-Howarth, associate director of New York Sea Grant and assistant director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, NY.

The exhibit that made its debut at a New York City waterfront festival last fall includes signage noting all the gear required and recommended for boaters to be legal, safe and environmentally-friendly on New York State waters. That gear includes such items as life vests and reflective decals for paddles.

New York Sea Grant has received New York State, National Association of Boating Law Administrators, and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary awards for the Discover Clean and Safe Boating campaign. The program has educated more than one million people, including deaf boaters, emergency services first responders, anglers, sailors, and paddle sport enthusiasts, since its inception in 2008.

New York Sea Grant partners in the Discover Clean and Safe Boating campaign include the Boating Industries Association of Upstate NY, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, New York State Marine Services Bureau, and marine industry businesses.

New York Sea Grant is a cooperative program of Cornell University and the State University of New York, and one of 33 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. For updates on New York Sea Grant activities statewide, www.nyseagrant.org has RSS, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube links.

PHOTOS Available in High Res: 
New York Sea Grant Great Lakes Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White in the folding boat that is part of the 2018 Discover Clean and Safe Boating Inflate-A-Fleet educational exhibit. Photo: Brian P. Whattam

These inflatable watercraft are part of the New York Sea Grant 2018 Discover Clean and Safe Boating Inflate-A-Fleet educational exhibit. Photo: Brian P. Whattam