Lake Michigan Fisheries News

June 8, 1998

TO: People interested in Great Lakes fisheries

FROM: Bill Horns, Great Lakes Specialist

SUBJECT: Great Lakes fisheries issues

This is an update on some of the issues facing us on the Great Lakes. If you have questions or comments about the topics discussed here or any other issues related to Great Lakes fisheries, contact me by phone (608.266.8782), FAX (608.267.7857), or e- mail (william.horns@wisconsin.gov).

Commercial chub fishing rule proposal

Current rules limit commercial gill netting for chubs during the winter season to two large chub fishing zones and, within those zones, to waters deeper than 360 feet. The purpose of those limitations is to keep the incidental kill of lake trout within acceptable limits. Recently, commercial fishers have requested changes. At its June meeting, the Natural Resources Board will be asked to approve public hearings on a proposal to allow gill netting in waters deeper than 300 feet in the northern chub fishing zone and in waters deeper than 360 feet north of the current southern chub fishing zone but south of Algoma. Under the proposal, these expanded fishing opportunities would be limited to the winters of 1999 and 2000. Continuation of these changes and other possible changes could be considered in 1999, after the completion of ongoing year-around monitoring of the chub fishery.

Chinook salmon stocking in Lake Superior

We were not able to meet our chinook salmon stocking goal for Lake Superior this year. A large fraction of the planned production of 400,000 fingerlings died of bacterial gill disease in the Les Voigt Hatchery. Surplus fish from the Wild Rose and Westfield hatcheries made up part of the loss and we were able to stock 255,000 fish. An opportunity to obtain additional chinook salmon from New York was declined when we learned that the hatchery where those fish were being reared had experienced an occurrence of whirling disease in 1994.

Southeast Region Lake Michigan supervisor

We are very pleased to announce that Jim Francis has accepted the position of supervisor of the Lake Michigan unit in Milwaukee. Jim has extensive experience on Lake Michigan, having served as supervisor of Indiana's Lake Michigan program for several years. He has also served as chairman of the interagency Lake Michigan Committee, so he is familiar with the entire range of fisheries management issues on Lake Michigan.

Commercial trawling rules

On May 27 the Natural Resources Board considered rule proposals related to commercial trawling. The proposals had been developed following enactment of 1997 Act 27, which allows trawling in Green Bay during the period from one hour before sunrise to three hours after sunrise, and directs the Department to set total harvest limits for alewives. The Board took steps designed to facilitate a return to the old trawling regulations. It adopted the Department proposal, which would set alewife harvest limits for Green Bay and Lake Michigan and require the landing of all alewives, chubs, and smelt, but asked Secretary Meyer to withhold publication (that is, to block final promulgation) if all five licenced commercial trawlers limit summer trawling in Green Bay to hours of darkness. In other words, if the trawlers fish under the rules that were in effect prior to passage of the budget bill, the Department rule will not be put into effect. This will be a provisional arrangement while the Department seeks legislation to repeal the statutory allowance for daytime trawling. The Board took no action on a Petitioners' proposal which would, among other things, sharply reduce smelt harvest limits. Department staff will prepare a recommendation on smelt harvest limits for presentation to the Board later this summer, probably at the August meeting.

Yellow perch research update

Studies are moving forward on Green Bay and Lake Michigan with significant support from Sea Grant. Department biologists are working with agency counterparts from Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, and with scientists from the University of Wisconsin, the University of Michigan, the Purdue University, the University of North Carolina, and the Illinois Natural History Survey to monitor and study spawning, growth, and survival of yellow perch in Green Bay and Lake Michigan. It's too early to summarize results for this year.

Yellow perch stocking workshop

The workshop mentioned in my last news memo was held at the Center for Great Lakes Studies in Milwaukee. A summary report was prepared by Cliff Kraft, of UW-Sea Grant. I have a limited number of copies of the report.

Walleye stocking in Milwaukee River

The Department will continue a limited and closely-monitored walleye stocking program in the Milwaukee River. We hope that a local walleye fishery can be developed without harming salmon fishing. A maximum of 10,000 extended-growth walleye fingerlings will be stocked in the fall of 1998, followed by annual plants of 30,000 regular fingerlings each spring through the year 2004. During this time, the Department will analyze the diets of walleye to determine if they are preying on stocked chinook salmon. Department biologists will also consider alternative stocking practices in order to minimize predation by walleyes on salmon. This spring, through the assistance of Milwaukee Great Lakes Sport Fishermen, chinook salmon fingerlings were held in net pens in the Milwaukee Harbor prior to release, rather than being stocked farther upstream. The holding period appeared to allow the young fish to acclimate and stabilize, and electroshocking surveys found few predators in the vicinity of the net pens. We hope that this technique will help minimize predation by walleye on the small chinooks.

Sport fishing rule changes

The Natural Resources Board adopted the package of fishing rule changes that emerged from the 1998 spring fish and wildlife hearings. The following rules pertaining to Great Lakes fishing will take effect next year, April 1, 1999: 1) The midlake refuge in Lake Michigan will be open to trolling for all species of salmon and trout except lake trout, but will remain closed to commercial fishing. 2) With the exception of Washington Island, all waters of Lake Michigan and Green Bay will take the same largemouth and smallmouth bass regulations as currently in effect for the rest of the state (14" minimum length, five fish combined daily bag limit). 3) On Lake Superior, the daily bag limit for brown trout greater than 20" will be 5 (increased from 2) and the minimum length limit for rainbow trout will be 26" (reduced from 28").

SB 181

Senate Bill 181 has changed the role and authority of the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior Commercial Fishing Boards. Those fishing boards formerly had the authority to allocate among licensed commercial fishers the annual total allowable harvest limits for commercial species. Under SB 181, that allocation authority has been tranferred to the Department, but the advisory role of the fishing boards has been expanded.

Lake Superior FCO's

The Lake Superior Committee has formed a drafting committee to begin developing revised Fish Community Objectives (FCO's) for Lake Superior, and I have been appointed to chair the drafting committee. I hope that we will have a draft available for public review by late fall. This effort was initiated with the hope of developing statements of fish community objectives that would help us identify habitat protection and restoration needs, and I do not expect that the committee will suggest any significant changes in the goals or direction of fisheries management on Lake Superior.

Sorting fish at tournaments

Complaints of sorting by tournament fishers are being received by the Department. All fishers are reminded that under state law, "Any fish taken into actual possession, unless released immediately, shall be included as part of the daily bag limit." This means that once you have retained a fish in your live well, it is counted against your daily bag limit, even if you release it alive later in the day.