Decals now available to help protect Lake Superior’s steelhead

Minnesota Sea Grant Report

Duluth, Minn. — As spring fishing ramps up on Lake Superior, anglers are hitting the water in pursuit of steelhead, lake trout, and coho and Chinook salmon. To help protect wild steelhead, Minnesota Sea Grant is distributing free identification decals for a second year to help anglers distinguish between steelhead and other salmon species while they’re on the water.

Minnesota fishing regulations require that all wild steelhead must be released. These are naturally reproducing fish and are protected by a catch-and-release rule.

The decals are free, but recipients are asked to complete a short survey at the end of the angling season. The survey provides information on the effectiveness of the decal and helps MNSG determine if there’s interest in similar identification tools for other Lake Superior fish.

Wild steelhead can be identified by their intact adipose fin – the small, fleshy fin located on the fish’s back. Hatchery-raised steelhead have a clipped (missing) adipose fin and may be harvested, with a daily limit of three fish over 16 inches.

RELATED STORY FROM OUTDOOR NEWS:

A new decal seeks to help anglers spare wild steelhead in Minnesota

In 2024, Minnesota Sea Grant surveyed 75 of the 150 or so anglers who requested a steelhead identification decal. Half of the respondents said they used the decal to identify the fish they caught. Most importantly, 19% of those who said they caught a wild steelhead also said they would have mistakenly kept the fish if they had not used the identification decal.

“We’re pleased to see anglers using the steelhead identification decals,” said Minnesota Sea Grant Fisheries Specialist Don Schreiner. “Protecting wild steelhead from harvest allows these fish to spawn, which helps increase the steelhead population.”

When asked where they fished, 67% of the decal users reported fishing on Lake Superior by boat, 37% in tributary streams, and 27% from shore, with a few anglers fishing at multiple locations. When asked about decal placement, 40% of anglers affixed it to their boats, another 40% to their tackle boxes, and 12% to a cooler. The remaining 8% of respondents indicated they had not attached the decal.

Additionally, 76% of respondents said that others were interested in the decal and learned from it. More than 80% of respondents also expressed interest in receiving identification decals for fish of other species.

“We thank everyone who participated in our survey and shared their experiences,” said Schreiner. “We anticipate conducting another survey of decal recipients in late 2025.”

Learn more at: z.umn.edu/MNSG-Steelhead-Salmon

Minnesota Sea Grant is a system-wide program of the University of Minnesota and one of 34 federal-university Sea Grant partnerships across the country supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Great Lakes and coastal states that encourage the wise stewardship of our marine resources through research, outreach, communication, education, and technology transfer.