What's New?
John Gipson and Ken Holder won the Little Money Bass Tournament Classic by a mere two ounces on the St. Joseph River at Benton Harbor.
The Michigan Natural Resources Commission has enacted regulation changes on several inland trout lakes in the Upper Peninsula, effective Oct. 10, 2025.
New Gear
The Abu Garcia Beast series—including both reels and rods—have been redesigned to incorporate new components and features.
Newsflash
Where Do Michigan Walleyes Come From? Here’s Your Answer
- Details
(Provided by Michigan DNR)
Biologists working shock boat capture walleyes for egg taking purposes.As many anglers know, much of Michigan’s inland-waters walleye fishery is supported by hatchery-raised fish. What many don’t know is that the source of those fish - the Muskegon River, below Croton Dam - is supported by hatchery-raised fish, too.
"There’s not a lot of natural reproduction in the system,” said Rich O’Neal, the Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologist who oversees the Muskegon River watershed. “We’re getting very low production in the river. We’re not sure why, but we think water velocity or water temperature could have something to do with it. We know we get good natural reproduction further upstream.”
“There are 3 to 4 billion eggs laid here when they’re spawning, but we’re just not getting fry production.”
It took a stocking effort to rebuild the Muskegon River population after it collapsed in the 1960s. O’Neal said sea lamprey predation - the preying of one animal on another - on adult walleyes was part of the problem, but alewife predation on juveniles also was a factor. “We saw that all over the Great Lakes,” he said.
Steelhead Tops Area Fishing; Inland Lake Fishing Improves Daily
- Details
By Louie Stout
Steelhead fishing continues to provide good action on the St. Joseph River, while lake fishing is slowly coming around.
Steelhead continue to filter into the river although the spring run is near its peak. More than 2,800 steelhead have moved into South Bend so far and anglers are enjoying success.
“There’s a lot of fish on the gravel right now,” said Dick Parker of Central Park Bait in Mishawaka. “The river is in great shape; a little low but the water is clean. I know of a few 12-pounders being caught.”
Flies, fresh spawn and Corkies drifted over the gravel have been good baits.
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