Steelhead fishing and catching tagged fish contribute to Great Lakes research efforts
Contact(s): Nick Legler, DNR fisheries biologist, 920-746-5112
KEWAUNEE, Wis.-With spring steelhead fishing underway on Lake Michigan tributaries, state fisheries biologists are asking anglers to assist with an important steelhead research program currently underway. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fish biologists are asking anglers to report marked fish by submitting reports about what they caught, where and when.
Steelhead stocked into Lake Michigan tributaries during 2018 and recently in spring 2019 were marked with an adipose fin clip and tagged internally with coded wire tags. Steelhead are typically stocked as yearlings or at age 1, so steelhead initially marked and tagged in 2018 are now two years old and about 15 to 20 inches.
DNR fisheries technicians Derek Apps (front) and Roman Frey (back) with a steelhead processed at the Besadny Anadromous Fish Facility on April 10, 2019.Photo credit: DNR
“These fish have now reached catchable and harvestable size, so we’re asking anglers who catch steelhead with the adipose fin clip to let us know,” says Nick Legler, DNR fisheries biologist based in Sturgeon Bay.
This diagram shows a fish with ONLY a missing adipose (back) fin.
Anglers have already caught some marked steelhead, with a few also showing up in reports from state egg collection facilities: the Besadny Anadromous Fisheries Facility on the Kewaunee River and Root River Steelhead Facility on the Root River. Anglers are encouraged to help, by collecting information and samples through either a volunteer return program accessible through dnr.wi.gov, search “missing fin,” or the Great Lakes Angler Diary at https://glanglerdiary.org/.
Overall, the Great Lakes Mass Marking program seeks to evaluate salmonid wild production, movements, growth, and stocking methods. Also important to steelhead management is an evaluation of different genetic strains, such as Chambers Creek and Ganaraska strains. These will be interesting things to learn about steelhead, that will help guide steelhead management.
Collectively, all Chinook salmon and lake trout were marked with adipose fin clips and coded wire tags from 2011-2016, in a process shown in the video below. Since 2017, lake trout are still clipped and tagged, Chinooks are now just clipped, while steelhead are now clipped and tagged.
Lake Michigan fish marking machine
“Great information has and continues to be collected from past and remaining tagged Chinooks,” Legler says. “This new focus on tagged steelhead is an exciting next chapter for the Great Lakes Mass Marking program. With anglers’ help, it is sure to provide useful information to help manage and sustain a great fishery in Lake Michigan for years to come.”
This effort is thanks to the Great Lakes Mass Marking Program, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Kettle Moraine Fish Hatchery, and many collaborators around Lake Michigan. For more information, please contact DNR fisheries biologist Nick Legler at 920-746-5112 or nicholas.legler@wisconsin.gov.
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Turkey Donation Program provides opportunity to help families in need this spring
Contact(s): Liz Tanner, DNR Wildlife Biologist, 608-266-2151
MADISON – Now in its third year, the Turkey Donation Program returns this spring and provides hunters the opportunity of donating their harvested turkey to needy families across the state. Donated turkeys will be processed free of charge, and the meat will be provided to local food pantries.
“This is a great opportunity for turkey hunters to participate in a sport they enjoy while also providing turkey meat to Wisconsin families in need,” said Liz Tanner program coordinator with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Hunters can participate in the program by following five simple steps:
- Legally harvest and register a turkey;
- Field-dress the turkey and keep it in a cool location;
- Call a participating processor to make sure that they are prepared to accept the turkey. A list of processors can be found at dnr.wi.gov, keywords “turkey donation;”
- Drop the turkey off at a participating processor, during regular business hours, by May 31, 2019; and
- Fill out the log sheet at the processor to verify the donation. Hunters must donate the entire turkey carcass in order for the processing cost to be covered by the program (beard, tailfin, and spurs/feet may be kept).
Those interested in supporting the Deer and Turkey Donation Programs can voluntarily donate $1 or more to the Deer and Turkey Donation Programs to help cover meat-processing fees. To donate, visit any license sales location or donate online through a Go Wild account at GoWild.Wi.Gov.
For more information regarding the turkey donation program, including a list of participating processors, search the DNR website, dnr.wi.gov, for keywords “turkey donation.”