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MDNR Report
Michigan DNR Fisheries Projects
The Michigan DNR is offering over $1.6 million in funding for a variety of activities tied to improving state fisheries and aquatic resources, including fish habitat conservation, dam removal and repair, resource assessment studies and access to recreation.
Distributed through three themes – aquatic habitat conservation, dam management, and aquatic habitat and recreation in the Au Sable, Manistee and Muskegon river watersheds – Fisheries Habitat Grant funding is available through an open, competitive process to local, state, federal and tribal governments and nonprofit groups.
“Healthy rivers, lakes and wetlands provide benefits through better fishing, boating and enjoyment of our aquatic ecosystems,” said Joe Nohner, a resource analyst with the DNR Fisheries Division. “These grants help our partners protect and rehabilitate fisheries and waters in a state that relies heavily on those resources as a foundation for tourism and quality of life. In cases where we remove, repair or renovate dams, we also can improve safety for our communities.”
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Michigan DNR Report
Illegal salmon taken from poachers
An angler’s tip helped Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers recover more than 460 pounds of illegally taken salmon from an out-of-state fishing group on the Manistee River this week. The group went away with far less than they caught, while the officers were able to safely donate the poached fish to local families in Manistee County.
“There is a large amount of coho and Chinook salmon running the local rivers this time of year, attracting anglers from across the country to be a part of one of Michigan’s finest fishing adventures,” said the DNR’s Sgt. Grant Emery. “While we’ve seen a decrease in illegal fishing activity over the years, unfortunately, we still run into illegal and unconventional methods.”
Conservation Officers Josiah Killingbeck, who patrols Lake County, and Scott MacNeill, who patrols Manistee County, were conducting a fish patrol Tuesday along the Manistee River, near the Tippy Dam in Dickson Township when an angler approached and informed them about a group downriver using illegal methods and equipment to take fish.
The officers located and observed the group, confirming the tip.
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MDNR Report
For people who want to access the Saginaw River and Saginaw Bay this fall, please keep in mind that the Saginaw River Mouth Boating Access Site in Bay County will temporarily close beginning Monday, Sept. 12, for a parking lot and boat ramp expansion project.
The work will include the addition of vehicle and trailer parking, vehicle-only parking and a new skid pier with a lane on each side, as well as the repaving of the parking lot. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources anticipates the project will take roughly eight weeks, with the boating access site expected to reopen Saturday, Nov. 5.
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MDNR Report
Michigan DNR Hunting ad Fishing App
The new Michigan DNR hunting and fishing app is now available for download to Apple and Android devices.
Introduced in July after months of development and testing, the free Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app offers a convenient way for hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts to:
- Buy hunting and fishing licenses and trail permits.
- Report deer or fish harvests.
- Look up regulations and download guides and digests.
- Find their license history, including point and chance balances.
- Check out maps with multiple layers, showing features such as shooting ranges and boat launches.
- Get timely notifications from the DNR.
“I like the app; it’s easy to use and has everything right there,” said Mike Koziara, owner of MQT Adventures and Guide Service, which provides guided fishing and other outdoor excursions in the Upper Peninsula.
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MDNR Report
Fish hatchery infrastructure and maintenance and fisheries survey vessel modernization efforts will benefit from Michigan’s budget recently approved for fiscal year 2023. The budget includes $30 million for fish hatchery infrastructure improvements and $4 million to replace an outdated Great Lakes survey vessel – all of which are critical to better supporting and understanding Michigan’s world-class fisheries.
For more than 120 years, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has operated fish hatcheries to produce fish for stocking lakes and streams across Michigan. Today, there are six hatchery facilities – in Alanson, Beulah, Harrietta, Manistique, Marquette and Mattawan – vital to managing and maintaining the state’s fisheries. At 20 years old, Oden State Fish Hatchery is the newest facility, with the others ranging from 40 to over 50 years old. Though staff has done its best to keep operations running and fish thriving, the aging facilities have developed a large backlog of critical infrastructure maintenance needs.
With the $30 million investment in hatcheries, the DNR will upgrade production water supplies, replace roofs, upgrade outdated electrical distribution systems, repair and replace deteriorating asphalt, upgrade water aeration systems, replace outdated backup power generators and provide biosecurity enhancements that better protect fish health.