HB 5108 introduced, puts Michigan’s fishing heritage at risk

Michigan's fishing heritage is at risk.

MICHIGAN’S SPORTFISHING HERITAGE IS AT RISK New legislation dropped today in the Michigan House would put Michigan’s $2.3 billion dollar annual recreational angling industry and our fishing heritage at risk. HB 5108, sponsored by Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor), would allow for the state-licensed commercial take of game fish, including lake trout, smallmouth, panfish, walleye,…

Read More

Reduction in steelhead bag limits, increase in walleye fishing opportunities discussed at November NRC meeting

A proposed amendment reducing the bag limit of steelhead on certain streams received the most attention at Wednesday’s monthly Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting. About 50 members of the public and department attended the meeting. Public comment centered around the reduction in steelhead bag limits, an amended fisheries order opening up the Saginaw River to…

Read More

Amendment proposed for year-round walleye fishing on the lower Saginaw River added to November NRC agenda

Natural Resources Commission (NRC) member David Cozad recently proposed an amendment to a fisheries order that would allow walleye fishing on the lower portion of the Saginaw River during the spawning season.  Currently, the Saginaw River is closed to walleye fishing during the spawning season. The amendment can be found here. It amends Fisheries Order…

Read More

Action Alert: Call your senator urging them to support commercial fishing legislation

Current statutes and administrative rules regarding the licensing and regulation of commercial fishers in Michigan are decades old and do not sufficiently protect game fish from commercial impacts. Further, MDNR conservation officers are unable to adequately protect the fisheries from exploitation and illegal activity due to the outdated statute. House Bills 4567, 68 and 69…

Read More

Guides, ranges should be included in next industry reopenings

Fishing guides and outdoor shooting ranges should be among the next outdoor industries to reopen for Michigan citizens. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to announce Friday that the construction industry will be able to resume work May 7 providing adherence to strict social distancing protocols. Gov. Whitmer has explicitly stated throughout the reopening process that…

Read More

September NRC meeting in Marquette covers a variety of fisheries orders

The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) met at the Northern Michigan University campus in Marquette last week, covering a variety of topics such as opening hunting on Watkins Lake State Park and modifications to spawning closure dates. The day started at 10:30 a.m. with a report on Arctic Grayling from Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR)…

Read More

Fisheries Regulations Passed at September NRC Meeting

The Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting in September was held at the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Ontonagon. The day started off with the Michigan State Parks Advisory Committee addressing major projects underway to repair upwards of $20 million worth of damage from storms this June and back in 2016. DNR Parks and Recreation…

Read More