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The GLSI attended the Lake Michigan Citizens Fishery Advisory Committee Meeting this week.  There were some great presentations and the latest information from last year scientific research.  Some trends are concerning on the forage base and average size of chinook but there will no cuts to stocking this spring.  Here are some notes from the meeting on key topics.

Great Lakes Fishery Commission Lake Committee Highlights:

• Predator Prey Ratio -The PPR for 2024 will be completed by June.
• The standard weight of 35-inch Chinook salmon decreased in 2023 and increased in 2024 and is below weights from 2016 to 2022.
• Average weight of age 3 females at the weirs has been decreasing since 2019.
• Charter boat catch rates for Chinook salmon continues to increase. Brown trout harvest is still low with a slight increase in 2024. Steelhead harvest was up and seems to be stable at a lower number compared to pre-2003 harvest. Lake trout harvest was down and typically shows a downward trend when silver fish are available.
• Coho harvest was exceptional for all states with Wisconsin seeing a record coho harvest.
• Chinook salmon dominated the harvest followed by coho salmon, lake trout, steelhead, and brown trout in 2024.
• Based on salmon weight and charter harvest rate, the PPR is predicted to be the same or slightly below 2023 levels, which is above 0.05 and heading towards uncomfortable levels.
• Alewife mortality was also discussed showing that mortality is currently at a high rate that is driving alewife biomass down after biomass increases from 2016 to 2020.
• Nutrients and Zooplankton o Total offshore phosphorous near Muskegon remains low from 2007 to 2024 and is about half the levels seen pre-2003.
• Although nearshore total phosphorous is 2 to 3 times offshore, it is also much lower than historic concentrations.
• Summer zooplankton levels were considered good in 2024 with Daphnia, copepods, and Limnocalanus most abundant.
• Diporeia trends continue to decline with small areas in west central and northeast areas of the lake still maintaining small densities.
• Quagga mussels density is still high and has stabilized the past five years.
• Prey Fish Abundance - Spring bottom trawl surveys captured highest densities in deep habitats where alewife congregate over winter.
• Yearling and older alewife were concentrated near Muskegon and Manistique in the 2024 hydroacoustic survey and near the Sturgeon Bay outlet in Wisconsin in the bottom trawl survey.
• Age-0 alewife was above average in 2024 but not as high as 2023 with the acoustic survey.
• Bloater are showing increasing trends.
• Overall forage biomass is low for the time series with alewife and bloater contributing to most of the biomass.
• Alewife age truncation continues with most alewife observed being age 5 and younger. There are very few ages 6 and 7.

 
Mass Marking Update:

• Chinook salmon wild production continues to increase and was estimated at 9.2 million smolts in 2023 based on age 2 fish.
• Survival of stocked Chinook salmon continues to be better on the west side of the lake.
• Steelhead wild production is estimated between 0.7 and 1.0 million smolts.
• The steelhead fishery is mixed in the lake with all states catching fish stocked throughout the lake. Michigan and Indiana stocked fish contribute most to the steelhead fishery.
• Yearling stocking survival is 2.5 times higher than fingerling survival.
• Michigan and Indiana stocking sites tend to have the highest relative survival compared to Wisconsin sites (except small tributary sites in Wisconsin).
• Lake Trout Working Group Report - The total salmonine harvest of 3.16 million kg in 2024 was within the fish community objective.
• Harvest of lake trout in 2024 was 14% of the total harvest, which was below the objective of 20-25%.
• Many strains of lake trout have been stocked in Lake Michigan with Seneca Lake, Lewis Lake, and Parry Sound the current strains stocked.
• Most lake trout stocking occurs in the northern refuge.
• Objectives for spring assessments were met in MM4 (Grand Traverse Bay) and in the southern refuge.
• Sea lamprey adult index was above target in 2024 and stable. Lake trout marking rates were below target.

 
Stocking Plan for 2025: Although there are signs that predator biomass is increasing and that alewife biomass is decreasing, the Lake Michigan Committee agreed to keep stocking numbers the same in 2025.

• Lake Trout 2,120,000
• Brown Trout 312,000
• Steelhead 660,000 yearling
• Coho Salmon 1,400,000
• Chinook Salmon 1,000,000

With the PPR, reducing alewife biomass, and lower Chinook salmon weights, the Lake Michigan Committee is watching all indicators for 2025 to determine if stocking reductions are warranted for 2026.

Brandon Road (Invasive Carp Barrier) Project Update (Tammy Newcomb)

• Invasive carps are found throughout the Mississippi River basin including the Illinois River not far from Lake Michigan.
• There is currently an electrical barrier 37 miles from Lake Michigan that is not 100% effective.
• A single silver carp and single bighead carp have been caught above the barrier.
• Larval fish detections have been found below the barrier in 2015.
• The Brand Road Lock and Dam is a critical project to use multiple deterrent systems to keep invasive carp from expanding up into the Chicago Area Waterways System.
• Deterrent systems include electric, acoustic, flushing locks, bubble systems, and barge clearing systems.
• Most of the funding is in place, but there is concern over Illinois’ reluctance to acquire area property and to move forward with the project without assurances that the federal government will fund their share.

Fisheries Division Funding:

• Fishing license costs have been flat since 1997 despite inflation and was reduced to $26 in 2014.
• The average license cost in the U.S. is $31.33.
• Fisheries Division currently has 156 employees and should have 294 based on a 2002 Blueprint to fulfil public trust and legal responsibilities.
• Aging facilities are in direr need of maintenance with $300 million in assets and only $300,000 annually in maintenance funds.
• The Division is appropriated approximately $21 million from Game and Fish Protection Fund (fishing licenses) and $12 million in Federal Funds (DJ Sportfish Restoration).
• Michigan sells 1.2 million licenses, which is 7th in nation.
• At $26, Michigan’s license cost ranks 31st in nation.
• In 2024, a funding bill failed despite amazing stakeholder support.

Lake Whitefish and Burbot Possession Limit Reduction:

• With declining lake whitefish adult populations and lack of recruitment, the proposal is to reduce the lake whitefish and round whitefish possession limit to 2 from 10.
• The cisco possession limit will remain at 10.
• Burbot currently do not have a possession limit, and there is increased interest by anglers to target burbot. Other states have recognized burbot as a sportfish. Burbot are vulnerable when in spawning aggregations.
• The proposal is to establish a five (5) burbot daily possession limit.

We want to thank Jay Wesley and Fisheries Chief Randy Claramunt for the information provided during the meeting.

From the GLSI:  We think you will agree, the fishing in the Great Lakes in 2024 was very good. It was a great season for salmon, trout and walleyes. DNR stocking programs have been fueling our fishery. We remained very concerned on the impact of inflation on the DNR Fisheries Division and don’t want to see programs cut or eliminated.  

The GLSI has been working with a small committee of angling groups to develop a new proposal for a fishing license re-structure. This is necessary for the Fisheries Division to maintain and improve critical programs in the face of severe inflation since the last fishing license increase. The fishing license restructure will include our proposal to run additional rods although we are discussing some slight format changes.  We are engaged with legislators and working together to create a bill that will be introduced and sponsored in Lansing. Once a bill is finalized, we are very anxious to release the details. It should be ready by summer and if passed would go in effect for the 2026 season. We are confident it will improve opportunities for anglers.

Upcoming Fishery Workshops
Scan the QR code or use this link to register:  www.michiganseagrant.org/educational-pro...bmLkmASNodUgJjv7_cfA


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