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Lake Conditions

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Also: Lake St. Clair
  Fish and Fisheries
of the Great Lakes Region

What's New | Overview | General Resources | Data | Fish Species
Fisheries | News | Related Resources
 
Wildlife: Amphibians and Reptiles | Birds | Fish | Insects | Mammals

 
What's New
Mercury still subtly hazardous
The Bay View Compass (6/29)
Wisconsin’s smaller, inland lakes generally have higher concentrations of mercury than Lake Michigan. While advisories regarding mercury levels in commercial and locally caught fish are useful if followed, the ultimate way to reduce mercury’s impact on human health is to cut emissions.

Catch of the day: Lake sturgeon
Erie Times-News (6/25)
A rare lake sturgeon was hooked and released Wednesday near Presque Isle in Lake Erie. The last time the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission had a confirmed sighting of a lake sturgeon was in 2001.

Looking for something fishy in our waterways
Joliet Herald News (6/18)
Fifteen boats are covering a 200-mile section of the Illinois Waterway, including the Des Plaines River, Chicago Sanitary & Ship Canal, and Illinois River for what is called the 14th annual Goby Roundup/Carp Corral.

Cashing in on crayfish
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (6/18)
Though there are few folks who actively harvest crayfish from Wisconsin waters - the Department of Natural Resources estimates it's around 20 - the ones who do make a little money while clearing out a highly invasive species.

St. Clair fish dying from bacteria
WDIV Detroit (6/17)
The mystery as to why thousands of fish are dying in Lake St. Clair has been solved. Preliminary tests on the fish found dead along 7 Mile to 11 Mile roads in St. Clair Shores indicates the fish died from a common bacteria.

Lake Superior fish meet contamination risk
South Bend Tribune (6/14)
The largest, deepest and coldest Great Lake holds another distinction — the highest levels of the contaminant toxaphene in the region and possibly anywhere in the world.

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Overview
The commercial and sport fishery on the Great Lakes is collectively valued at more than $4 billion annually. The fishery consists of a blend of native and introduced species, some of which are regularly restocked. Common catches include lake trout, salmon, walleye and white fish. The greatest commercial fishing harvests were recorded in 1889 and 1899 at about 147 million pounds. Since then, the fishery has been threatened on three fronts: overfishing, pollution and nonindigenous invasive species. Recent years have seen a major resurgence as walleye fisheries recover in Lake Erie and new salmon fisheries develop in Lake Ontario. The region's inland waters offer many fishing opportunities as well. Blue-ribbon trout streams attract fly fishing enthusiasts and lakes offer a variety of fish, including crappie, bluegill, perch, pike and large- and small-mouth bass.

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General Resources
TEACH Great Lakes: Fish and Fishing
In the Great Lakes region you'll find one of the world's largest freshwater fisheries. Learn about familiar fish species in the lakes, threats to the fish population, and tips on how to keep safe.

Let's Fish Ontario!
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Provides information of fishing in Ontario, such as license and regulations guidelines, fishing statistics, exotic species control, and how to protect fish and the fishing industry.

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Data
National Listing of Fish and Wildlife Advisories
Office of Science and Technology, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A searchable database of state, tribal, and federally issued fish consumption advisories in the United States, District of Columbia, four U.S. Territories, and 12 Canadian provinces and territories.

The National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
NBII is a broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. Great Lakes related information includes invasive species, fisheries and biodiversity.

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Fish Species
Canada's Aquatic Environments: Fish
University of Guelph, Ontario
Ecology, aquaculture, biodiversity, unique fish, Canadian fisheries and more.

Fish of the Great Lakes
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
Color illustrations or photographs and descriptions of many Great Lakes fish species.

Fishes of Wisconsin, by George C. Becker
Wisconsin Sea Grant
Now available online, Becker discusses Wisconsin waters and fisheries, and gives detailed species accounts of major Wisconsin fish families, including photographs.

Great Lakes Lake Sturgeon
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
This site provides information and a network of links to lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) research conducted by a number of U.S. and Canadian agencies and universities in the Great Lakes region of North America.

Illinois Natural History Survey Fish Collection
Illinois Natural History Survey
This collection contains approximately 800,000 catalogued specimens, which makes it about the 15th largest collection of preserved fishes, and the 6th largest collection of Neotropical fishes in North America. Represented are about 170 families and over 2,400 species which are all searchable through the web site's database.

Nonindigenous Fish of the Great Lakes
University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
Color illustrations or photographs and descriptions of nonindigenous fish species.

Trout and Salmon identification guide
Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council
Color illustrations show markings useful to identify various salmon and trout.

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Fisheries
Atlas of the Spawning and Nursery Areas of Great Lakes Fishes
USGS, Great Lakes Science Center
A comprehensive information base for evaluating changes in the condition and use of spawning and nursery habitat of Great Lakes fishes and projecting future needs.

Commercial Fishing Reports
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Great Lakes Science Center
Total pounds and dollar value of commercial catch in U.S. waters of the Great Lakes by year, state, lake and species.

Fisheries Management
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Information on fish harvest, habitat, exotic species as well as various databases.

Institute for Fisheries Research
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
The IFR conducts research on fisheries and other aquatic resources of Michigan.

Research and Monitoring of Fish Species of the Great Lakes
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Great Lakes Science Center
Background on more than a dozen key fisheries research projects currently underway in the Great Lakes.

Research Program
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Under the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission has responsibility to formulate a coordinated research program between the United States and Canada.

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News
Weekly Fishery News
Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council
A weekly update on news about the fishery in the Great Lakes basin.

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Related Resources
GLIN: Agencies and Organizations, Wildlife
GLIN: Aquaculture in the Great Lakes Region
GLIN: Environmental Research in the Great Lakes Region
GLIN: Fish and Fisheries Research in the Great Lakes Region
GLIN: Great Lakes Fish Consumption Advisories
GLIN: Hunting and Fishing in the Great Lakes Region
GLIN: Invasive Species in the Great Lakes Region

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Great Lakes Information Network
Last Updated: June 18, 2009
Maintained by: Christine Manninen, manninen@glc.org
Selected Photos: Copyright ©John and Ann Mahan
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