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In a case that highlights the importance of Michigan’s bear-baiting regulations, state wildlife biologists in Montmorency County recently removed a plastic lid from the neck of a young black bear that had carried the encumbrance around for two years.
It isn’t known exactly where or how the male bear got its head stuck in a 5-inch hole in the lid. The blue plastic lid is similar to those that fit 55-gallon drums used by hunters to bait bear and by landowners to store materials that can attract bears, such as chicken feed.
Biologists at the DNR’s Atlanta field office became aware of the bear in 2023 after seeing trail camera photos of the then-cub with its head stuck in the lid. The bear would prove elusive over the next two years, occasionally appearing on other trail camera photos but then disappearing after a day or so.
Then, in late May, a Hillman resident spotted the bear in trail camera photos taken on his wooded acreage and alerted the DNR. With the landowner’s permission, state biologists set up a baited enclosure trap and caught the animal safely on June 2. After anesthetizing the bear, they cut the lid off its neck and collected body measurements and other data.
The bear weighed 110 pounds, which is fairly standard for a 2-year-old bear that’s still growing. It had significant scarring and an abscess on its neck but otherwise seemed healthy. Once the anesthesia wore off, the bear was released back onto the property.
Norton said the trapping, chemical immobilizing and data-collecting effort provided DNR staff with valuable training and information that can inform future research and bear-management strategies. Michigan is home to about 13,000 black bears – 1,700 of them in the northern Lower Peninsula.
While baiting is a legal method for hunting bears in Michigan, bait containers can only be used on private land and may only have holes that are either 1 inch or less in diameter or 22 inches or greater in diameter.
Landowners can do their part by recycling or crushing containers such as empty cheeseball tubs and being “BearWise” about securing garbage, said Cody Norton of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He pointed to cases in Florida, Wisconsin and Tennessee in which bears got their heads stuck in food containers.
“Container openings of a certain size can result in bears and other wildlife getting their heads or other body parts stuck in them, leading to injury or death,” said Norton, the DNR’s bear, furbearer and small game specialist. “It’s important to remember that the opening diameter is more important than the size of the container.”
To learn more about living with black bears and minimizing bear encounters, visit BearWise.
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The Michigan DNR encourages everyone to take advantage of “Three Free” Weekend – Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8.
Indiana also will offer free fishing, but only for Indiana residents. Michigan allows non-residents to fish for free.
It's two full days when Michigan residents and out-of-state visitors can grab a fishing rod, ride the off-road trails and visit state parks, boating access sites and other outdoor locations — all free of charge.
“If you need another reason to get outdoors and explore some of Michigan’s best recreation opportunities, ‘Three Free’ Weekend is it,” said DNR Director Scott Bowen. “There’s nothing better than spending time outdoors with friends and family in places you love, so we’re encouraging everyone to take advantage of these two days to fish, hit the ORV trails and visit our award-winning state parks.”
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As spring arrives, anglers fishing in our rivers may unexpectedly find themselves with a lake sturgeon on the line. The Michigan DNR reminds anglers that special regulations exist for lake sturgeon, and fishing for lake sturgeon is prohibited except in a few locations in the state.
Can anglers fish for lake sturgeon?
In the Lower Peninsula, lake sturgeon may be encountered in places such as Manistee Lake, the Manistee River, Muskegon Lake, the Muskegon River, the Grand River, the Kalamazoo River, and Saginaw Bay and its tributaries, but it is unlawful to fish for lake sturgeon in these waters; any lake sturgeon incidentally caught while targeting other species must immediately be released. Additionally:
- Never hold a sturgeon in a vertical position by its head, gill covers or tail.
- Never touch the fish’s eyes or gills.
- Handle the fish as little as possible.
Waters with sturgeon possession seasons include Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River, Otsego Lake, the Menominee River and Black Lake. Waters with sturgeon fishing seasons (catch-and-release only) include the Detroit River, the St Marys River, Portage-Torch Lakes and the Ontonagon River.
In all other waters in the state of Michigan, it is unlawful to fish for lake sturgeon. (See Page 15 of the 2025 Michigan Fishing Regulations for detailed information related to lake sturgeon.)
Anglers can report incidental (unintentional) capture of lake sturgeon and report illegal harvesting or targeting of lake sturgeon at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField or by calling the DNR’s Report All Poaching hotline: 800-292-7800.
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We all know fish swim and move. But the when, where and why often remains a mystery for anglers and fisheries managers alike.
Managing fish populations requires a comprehensive understanding of fish behavior – driven by the biology of the fish and the environments they live in – as well as the anglers who value and enjoy Michigan’s world-class fisheries. Understanding angler behavior is relatively easy because people talk and can tell us what they like to catch and what motivates them to fish. Fish behavior, on the other hand? Well, that is more of a challenge.
Fortunately, fisheries managers in Michigan have adopted an advanced technology to unravel the mysteries of when, where, why and even how far fish travel. That technology is acoustic telemetry, and the information gained from this high-tech tracking method is helping fisheries managers address a variety of challenges, including conserving native stocks, controlling invasive species and understanding habitat use.
Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System network
Deciphering fish movement patterns in the Great Lakes with acoustic telemetry became much easier in 2010, with the creation of the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observations System. The GLATOS network uses cutting-edge technology to repeatedly observe the location of individual fish across short time intervals.
The ability to record the location of an individual fish over time is a substantial advancement from previous methods that solely relied upon knowing the release location of a uniquely marked fish and a subsequent recapture location, often provided by an angler. While the data from these methods are informative, a major shortcoming is that they provide no information on how the fish behaves between the time it was released and recaptured.
So how does acoustic telemetry work? The GLATOS network functions as a surveillance grid, consisting of receivers, or “listening stations,” strategically placed throughout the Great Lakes and capable of recording detections of fish that have been implanted with individually coded acoustic transmitters – or “pingers” – that the receivers are constantly listening for. This network of receivers and pinging fish provides vast spatial coverage of some of the largest lakes in the world and is supported by intensive collaborations among several state, federal and tribal fisheries resources agencies, universities and nongovernmental organizations.
There are currently more than 3,000 receivers in the Great Lakes Basin in the process of detecting pinging fish. An astonishing 24,000 fish have been implanted with acoustic transmitters since the GLATOS network was created, providing fisheries managers with year-round, 24/7, fine-scale fish behavior data that was never available before.
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Trout and the Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons open Saturday, April 26.
Make plans with your fishing buddies or bring someone new this year to share in the fun!
Anglers should note that in Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye and northern pike possession seasons open Thursday, May 15.
Michigan’s muskellunge possession season on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers opens Saturday, June 7 (catch-and-immediate-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year).
And don’t forget the catch-and-immediate-release season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open all year on nearly all waters, unless otherwise closed to fishing. Check the current Michigan Fishing Regulations summary for specifics.
The possession season for bass opens statewide Saturday, May 24 — except for on Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River, which open Saturday, June 21.
Storm damage
Anglers should be aware of potential road and waterway obstructions, including downed trees and branches, due to recent ice storm damage in Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle counties. Find up-to-date information about closures and conditions on the DNR storm recovery page.
Protect our waters
Michigan’s trout streams are under increasing threat from harmful species that affect habitat and food sources for trout and other fish. Both didymo (rock snot) and New Zealand mudsnail can be moved to new locations on waders, nets and gear. To protect Michigan waters, be prepared and take the time to decontaminate before moving to a new river or stream.
Learn about more actions anglers and boaters can take to prevent the spread of invasive species.
Fishing licenses
The new license season began April 1, so anglers should make sure they purchase a new fishing license for this fishing season. The 2025 annual fishing licenses are valid through March 31, 2026. If you need any assistance with your fishing license, contact DNR licensing staff at MDNR-E-License@Michigan.gov or call 517-284-6057.
The 2025 Michigan Fishing Regulations and Inland Trout and Salmon Maps are available online at Michigan.gov/Fishing, along with other helpful fishing information. Buy your license online or download the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app to purchase your licenses, report harvests, access regulations, and get the latest hunting and fishing updates.