News
- Count the five fish daily lake trout limit as part of the overall five trout and salmon combined daily bag limit.
- Maintain closure of refuges, which are supporting some natural reproduction.
- Offer a continuous open season in 2017.
Lake Volunteers Needed
MCLA, with volunteers, continues to conduct annual water quality testing of our county lakes—if there is a volunteer monitor on the lake.
Skamania to be Reintroduced to Lake Michigan
Skamania Steelhead. Source: DNR FactSheet
April 4, 2017. In a boost to diversify Lake Michigan fishing opportunities, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will reintroduce Skamania steelhead into the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan over the next three to five years.
Dave Giehtbrock, DNR fisheries propagation section chief, said the Skamania strain is particularly prized because it may reach 32 inches and 12 pounds at age five - larger than other strains. Read the full article on the Wisconsin DNR website.
About the Skamania summerrun steelhead:
This strain was developed at the Skamania hatchery in the state of Washington. Wisconsin originally obtained eggs from Indiana, but we now take eggs from adults returning to our streams. The spawning migration (known as “the run”) begins in late June and early July. The good stream fishing doesn’t begin until the water temperatures start to cool, usually in mid‐September. Spawning occurs from mid‐December through mid‐March with the peak occurring in January and February. The majority of spawning fish are four and five year olds. Four year old fish average 28 inches and 8 pounds while five year old fish average 32 inches and 12 pounds.
Expanded Lake Michigan lake trout harvest takes effect April 15
04/13/2017. MADISON, Wis. - Expanded lake trout harvest opportunities will take effect Saturday, April 15 in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan thanks to an emergency rule approved by the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board.
The rule takes into account current lake trout populations including the reestablishment of natural reproduction in some refuge areas and is not expected to affect long-term restoration efforts, said Brad Eggold, Great Lakes district fisheries supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The new five fish daily bag limit was developed following an extensive angler engagement process that included seven public meetings with total attendance of 500.
"Based on the comments from our stakeholders, we believe increasing the daily bag limit from two to five lake trout will create welcome new recreational opportunities while also addressing concerns about the ratio of predators to prey in the lake," Eggold said. Other provisions of the new rule:
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third-largest by surface area. Lake Michigan is shared by Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The word “Michigan” originally referred to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa word mishigami meaning “great water.”
Interested in Lake Michigan levels?
Try the interactive Great Lakes Dashboard Project at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL).
- Click this link if you are using a tablet, mobile device or a Mac without Flash Player installed https://www.glerl.noaa.gov//data/dashboard/GLD_HTML5.html
- Click this link if you are using a device with Flash Player installed: https://www.glerl.noaa.gov/data/dashboard/GLWLD.html
MCLA Lake Director: John S. Durbrow
Facts & Figures:
- All of Manitowoc County is included in the Lake Michigan watershed.
- Shore length: 1,400 mi + 238 mi (islands)
- Max. length: 307 mi
- Max. width: 118 mi
- Surface area: 22,300 sq mi
- Depth: Max. 923 ft Mean 279 ft
- Volume: 1,180 cu mi
- Lake type: Glacial
- Recreation and Parks: Visit the Manitowoc City and Manitowoc County websites for information on the many lakeshore parks and attractions, such as Fischer Creek Conservation area.
Fishing Regulations:
- Species present: Click here.
- Current Fishing Report: Click here.
In general, Manitowoc County Lake Michigan fishing reports are updated once per week, usually on Tuesdays, beginning in spring. - 2015 Point Creek Smallmouth Bass Survey Report
- Consumption advisory: Click here.
- Dec 5, 2019: New Stocking Plan Aims at Enhancing Lake Michigan Fishing (Wisconsin DNR website)
Aquatic Invasive Species
- Alewife, Big Head carp, Rainbow smelt, Ruffe, Round goby, Silver carp, Sea Lamprey, White perch, Bloody-red shrimp, Spiny and fishhook waterfleas, Zebra and Quagga mussels, Rusty crayfish.
Read more on the Wisconsin DNR website.
Other Resources:
- EPA Lake Michigan Management Plan
- US Army Corps of Engineers – Lake Michigan Conditions
- Wisconsin Shoreline Inventory and Oblique Viewer (floodatlas.org)