Michigan Mixed Bag: Sea lamprey control set for White River

Muskegon — U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fisheries and Oceans Canada personnel were scheduled to apply lampricides to the White River in Muskegon, Oceana and Newaygo counties between June 16 and June 25 – an effort designed to kill invasive sea lamprey larvae that have burrowed in the stream bottom. The work will also take place in Long Lake Outlet in Alpena County.

The treatment dates were described as “tentative” and based on local weather or stream conditions near the time of application.

Sea lampreys attach to fish with a suction-cup mouth lined with sharp teeth, feed on their body fluids and can kill up to 40 pounds of fish during their parasitic phase. Each spawning pair produces up to 100,000 eggs, with larvae living for years in tributaries before transforming into parasites that migrate to the Great Lakes.

Fishery biologists and technicians conduct surveys for sea lamprey larvae in hundreds of Great Lakes tributaries each year. Most surveys are conducted by electrofishing, but in deep waters crews use a lampricide specially formulated onto sand granules and covered with a time-release coating.

MORE COVERAGE FROM MICHIGAN OUTDOOR NEWS:

Michigan bills again propose a separate Natural Resources Commission for Lower and Upper Peninsula

Angler groups argue against Michigan’s commercial fishing measure

Ralph Loos: Michigan bills allowing commercial harvest of walleye caused some clanking, but crappies are creating a roar

Michigan COs Rescue Two Ohio Kayakers

Pinconning, Mich. — Two kayakers from Ohio were rescued from Lake Huron after their kayaks capsized approximately 1 mile offshore of southern Sanilac County and northern St. Clair County on June 4. Michigan DNR Conservation Officers Chris Kravitsky and Mark Siemen were patrolling about a mile offshore when they observed an overturned kayak. Further out, they saw two people clinging to one kayak. The water was 25 feet deep and 43 degrees Fahrenheit.

The husband, 32 and wife, 36, had been kayaking while staying at a lakeside vacation home. Neither was wearing a life jacket.

According to the couple, increasing offshore winds began pushing them farther from shore, causing them to panic. The wife’s kayak overturned first, and when her husband attempted to assist, both kayaks capsized, leaving them stranded. The husband was suffering from cold exposure and was highly distressed. The wife had sustained a significant cut to her foot and, due to a recent surgery on her right arm, required special care removing her from the water.

Officers provided first aid for the wife’s foot while on the patrol boat before returning to shore.

Fish Cleaning Station Project Raising Funds

Harrison Township, Mich. — The Lake St. Clair Fish Cleaning Foundation is raising funds for the construction and maintenance of a new public fish cleaning station at the Clinton River Cutoff DNR Boating Access Site in Harrison Township. Once the fish cleaning station is complete, it will be donated to the DNR.

The campaign will help provide a sturdy pavilion shelter with fencing, an industry-standard Barracuda 1 premium fish cleaning station, ground fault electric service to accommodate electric knives, and nearby parking for vehicles with trailers. The entire project will meet universal design and Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

DNR recently announced the project recently was accepted into a matching grant program to help raise the $90,000 still needed – between now and July 31, donations to the project will be matched.

Lake Michigan Ranks as 4th ‘Most Instagrammable’ Lakes in North America

Lansing — Lake Michigan ranked fourth on a list of the top 10 most “instagrammable” lakes for anglers in North America, according to new research by Fishing Points.

The group analyzed Instagram reels from 129 major North American lakes. Lake Tahoe secured the top position with the highest number of Instagram reels.

Fishing Points’ research revealed Lake Michigan had 2,900,000 reels containing the #LakeMichigan hashtag.

“The lake, which spans Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, is noted for its fishery, including North America’s favorite steelhead,” Fishing Points noted.

Lake Tahoe, straddling the border between California and Nevada, garnered 16,000,000 hashtagged reels featuring #LakeTahoe, making it the most tagged freshwater lake in North America. It is well-known for its mackinaw trout population. North Carolina’s largest lake, Lake Norman, ranked second with 3,800,000 reels featuring #LakeNorman. Created between 1959 and 1964 during the construction of the Cowans Ford Dam, it offers anglers a chance of landing record-breaking catfish. Arizona’s Lake Havasu placed third, accumulating 3,200,000 Instagram reels. It provides the best smallmouth bass fishing in the state and features stunning views for anglers.

Michigan Outdoor Writers Recognize DU

Lansing — Ducks Unlimited recently received the 2026 Michigan Outdoor Writers Association Clean Waterways Award for the completion of a five-phase floodplain reconnection at Michigan’s Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. MOWA member Tom Huggler, president of The Hal and Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation, which funded a portion of DU’s efforts at Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge, encouraged Ducks Unlimited Michigan to apply for the award.

In addition to a cash donation, DU Michigan Major Donor Chairman Craig Lesley accepted a plaque commemorating the achievement on May 9 at MOWA’s annual conference.

“We deeply appreciate the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association’s recognition of this long term restoration effort,” Lesley said. “Reconnecting the Shiawassee floodplain has been a multi year commitment to cleaner water, resilient habitat, and a healthier Great Lakes system. This honor strengthens our resolve to keep advancing conservation that benefits Michigan’s landscapes and communities.”