Lake Huron to see more Atlantic salmon stocked next year
Jeremy Ervin, Port Huron Times Herald Published 1:33 p.m. ET Nov. 19, 2019 | Updated 1:35 p.m. ET Nov. 19, 2019
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
More Atlantic Salmon set to be stocked.
Zebra and quagga mussels are driving changes in the food web.
Beware chemicals: make sure your sticking to health recommendations when eating freshly caught fish.
Anglers fishing Lake Huron might see more Atlantic and coho salmon on their lines in the coming year. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has plans to stock more of these fish in the area and predicts a strong walleye season also.
While it might take the fish a while to be fully grown, they can still be fun to catch, said James Lottner, a member of the Thumb Area Walleye Club.
"It's never a disappointment to catch a salmon or trout," Lottner said. "They fight a lot more than a walleye does."
This trend in the Lake Huron fishery is being driven by the effects of invasive zebra and quagga mussels, Lake Huron Basin Coordinator Randy Claramunt said. The mussels are filter feeders, drawing water through their bodies and consuming microscopic life such as algae and plankton.
"That cascades up the food chain," Claramunt said. "The water's clearer. There's less nutrients going from the bottom of the food chain up into fish production.
"The mussels changed the normal pathways dramatically and maybe forever, but we'll see."
Because of the mussels' impact, off-shore prey fish populations are stressed, Claramunt said. So the DNR is gradually realigning the predator fish population to match what the ecosystem is producing, Claramunt said. That means stocking predators that feed on prey fish like gobies, which live closer to shore.
Coho Salmon
Last spring, about 100,000 coho salmon were stocked in the Thunder Bay River and Lake Huron in Port Sanilac. It was the first year coho had been stocked in Lake Huron since 1989, Claramunt said. A similar number is planned for stocking this year but at Harbor Beach and Au Sable River.
Claramunt said the plan is to stock coho at these locations on alternating years to spread salmon returns across the lake and keep anglers interested. The first year, about 5 percent of stocked salmon return to their point of release or birth as jack salmon, which are not fully grown, Claramunt said. The next year, 70 percent return, with the rest coming back the third year. At least those that survive.
"Next year will be the big pulse," Claramunt said.
The coho salmon are an alternative to Chinook salmon, which require larger prey.
Lexington Harbor to see increase in Atlantic salmon stocking
Atlantic salmon are also seeing their fortunes rise as Chinook salmon are troubled. Like with coho salmon, the Atlantic salmon are more closely aligned with what the ecosystem is producing in terms of prey.
"We saw some pretty remarkable declines in Chinook salmon because they rely on a very abundant, offshore production of prey fish," Claramunt said. "Atlantic salmon seem to have a more diverse diet."
Atlantic salmon stocking is also ramping up in Lake Huron, in part thanks to the addition of a second hatchery raising them, Claramunt said. The goal is to stock 40,000 to 50,000 Atlantic salmon at the Lexington Harbor this coming year. About 23,000 were released in Lexington in April 2019.
Another strong walleye year
While some species are having a tough time in the environment the mussels created, walleye are doing well, Claramunt said. The clearer waters, while harmful to some, may be helping the survival of walleye eggs, he said. The dynamic created by the mussels supports the little fish walleye eat, like gobies.
A dynamic environment
"The changes that we experience in Lake Huron now, even from decade to decade, are dramatic if not unprecedented," Claramunt said.
Eating guidelines
The coho salmon, Chinook salmon and walleye of Lake Huron all have eating advisories, according to the latest version of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' East Safe Fish guide.
For the coho and Chinook salmon, polychlorinated biphenyls are the listed chemical of concern. People are recommended to eat six servings per year at most, according to the guide. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are associated with cancer, development of diabetes, compromised immune system and harmed brain development in children.
Walleye are also limited to six servings per year, due to the concern of dioxins in the fish. Of the fish in Lake Huron, only carp are classified as "Do Not Eat," due to concerns over PCBs and dioxins. Dioxins can harm fertility, thyroid function and a linked to cancer development.
