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MDNR Report
Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Holly Pennoni was honored Thursday with a Lifesaving Award at the Michigan Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing.
Pennoni is credited with delivering rescue breaths to an unconscious man, Ross Gillespie of Cadillac, who – as the result of an unexpected medical condition which caused his blood pressure to plummet – crashed his vehicle on the side of the road while driving southwest of Cadillac on May 18.
Pennoni, driving behind the vehicle, witnessed the incident, called 911 and assisted Gillespie until an ambulance arrived and transported him to the hospital.
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MDNR Report
As spring draws closer, Michigan anglers are encouraged to purchase a 2022 fishing license and to review the upcoming regulations changes that will go into effect April 1 unless noted otherwise.
New licenses go on sale Tuesday, March 1. The new license season begins April 1, and the 2022 fishing licenses are valid through March 31, 2023.
Licenses can be purchased at Michigan.gov/DNRLicenses. By purchasing a fishing license online, anglers will have the opportunity to sign up for auto-renewal through the DNR eLicense system.
New regulations are:
Lake St. Clair and St. Clair River – walleye size limit
The Lake St. Clair and St. Clair River walleye minimum size limit has been increased from 13 inches to 15 inches, which is the same as the statewide regulation. The change will result in uniform walleye regulations throughout the connected waters of the St. Clair-Detroit River system, which includes Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.
Lake Superior – round whitefish daily possession limit
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MDNR Report
Black Lake Sturgeon
After only 36 minutes of fishing, this year’s sturgeon season on Black Lake (in Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties) ended at 8:36 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 5. The season, which included spearing and hook-and-line fishing, was scheduled to run Feb. 5-9, or until the harvest limit quota of six lake sturgeon had been reached.
Anglers initially were allocated a season quota of seven sturgeon, but the Michigan DNR set the harvest limit at six fish. This action helps accommodate the expected number of anglers and anticipate the possibility of near-simultaneous harvest of more than one fish.
There were 565 registered anglers, including a good number of supervised youth. According to the DNR, five sturgeon harvested were male and one was a female, ranging from 46 to 62 inches long and 23 to 67 pounds in weight.
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MDNR Report
Harvesting walleye eggs
With an aim toward maximizing both angler satisfaction and the ecological benefits of the state's walleye fisheries, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has finalized a plan to guide the department’s management of the popular species in inland waters.
The final plan comes after careful consideration and integration of public input on the draft walleye management plan, which the DNR initially asked for in February 2021.
Although walleye reside in the Great Lakes, rivers and inland lakes, the plan focuses on inland waters – mostly inland lakes – because walleye management in Great Lake waters is primarily addressed in various other department-approved management or rehabilitation plans.
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MDNR Report
Didymo on a lure
The Michigan departments of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and Natural Resources confirmed a report of didymo, a nuisance freshwater alga, in a stretch of the Upper Manistee River in Kalkaska County. Also known as rock snot despite its coarse, woolly texture, didymo can grow into thick mats that cover the river bottom.
The Manistee River finding marks the first detection of didymo blooms in the Lower Peninsula. In 2015, extensive mats of didymo were found on the Michigan side of the St. Marys River near Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula.
“Didymo can attach to fishing equipment, wading gear and other hard surfaces and be moved to new waterways,” said Bill Keiper, an aquatic biologist with EGLE’s Water Resources Division. “With each new detection, it becomes more important for people who fish, wade or boat to clean boats and equipment, including waders, after each use.”