DNR - Michigan's Fish Production Program

Michigan's Fish Production Program - Summary for 2011

The Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division reared a total of 11 different species of fish and 1 hybrid in 2011. A total of 20 different strains (genetically unique types of a species) of these 12 species/types of fish were raised by our 6 hatcheries, 2 streamside rearing facilities, and 20 outlying rearing ponds (Table 1). Including fish that we obtain in trades with other states or we transfer between waters, Fisheries Division stocked 30 strains of 17 species and 2 hybrids in 2011. The total number of fish stocked in 2011 by MI DNR fish hatcheries was 16,641,124 fish which weighed 666,456 lbs. or 302,934 kg (Table 2).

The number of fish stocked in Calendar Year 2011 is greater than previous years because Fisheries Division has moved to a managed risk program for Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv) control and is now producing near-normal numbers of walleye and muskellunge. As a result of the lack of information concerning VHSv on northern pike, Fisheries Division continues to keep a moratorium on northern pike production.

There were three other sources of fish stocking in Michigan, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hatcheries, tribal hatcheries and private hatcheries. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stocked 4.166,624 lake and brook trout during 2011, with most of this total being yearling lake trout stocked in Great Lakes waters (Table 3). Tribal fish hatcheries stocked 5,390,734 brook trout, lake trout, lake sturgeon and walleye during 2011, with walleye eggs and fry being predominant (Table 4). Private hatcheries contributed another 319,950 of 15 species to public waters under permit during the same calendar year, with fathead minnows predominant (Table 5). Bringing the total number of fish stocked into Michigan waters in 2011 to 26,520,323 fish of 23 species or hybrids that weighed 981,554 lbs. or 455,226 kg.

Information on the numbers, species and locations stocked is available at http://www.michigandnr.com/fishstock/.

Click here for Fish Identification

Table 1. Strains, their origin and were we get the eggs for all species in Michigan's fish production system for 2011

Species	Strain - Origin	Feral or Captive Broodstock
Atlantic Salmon	Landlocked - West Grand Lake, Maine	Feral - St. Mary's River
Brook Trout	Assinica - New York from Quebec	Captive - Marquette State Fish Hatchery
Brook Trout	Iron River - Iron River, MI	Captive - Marquette State Fish Hatchery - Will be discontinued
Brown Trout	Gilchrist Creek - Gilchrist Creek, MI	Captive - Oden State Fish Hatchery
Brown Trout	Sturgeon River - Sturgeon River, MI	Captive - Oden State Fish Hatchery
Brown Trout	Wild Rose - Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery, WI	Captive - Oden State Fish Hatchery
Chinook Salmon	Little Manistee - Toutlee and Green Rivers, Washington	Feral - Little Manistee River
Coho Salmon	Michigan - Lower Columbia and Cascade Rivers, Oregon, Toutlee River, Oregon and Alaska	Feral - Platte River
Lake Herring	St. Marys River, MI	Feral - St. Marys River, MI
Lake Sturgeon	Black Lake - Black Lake, Michigan	Feral - Black River
Lake Sturgeon	Sturgeon River - Sturgeon River, Michigan	Feral - Sturgeon River
Lake Trout	Marquette - Inshore Lake Superior	Captive - Marquette State Fish Hatchery
Lake Trout	Seneca - Seneca Lake, New York	Obtain young of year from WI and MI federal hatcheries
Muskellunge	Great Lakes	Developing strain from Lake St. Clair
Muskellunge	Northern - Wisconsin	Obtained young of year fish from Indiana
Rainbow Trout	Eagle Lake - Ennis National Fish Hatchery from Eagle Lake, California	Captive - Oden State Fish Hatchery
Rainbow Trout - Steelhead	Little Manistee - Mostly from McCloud River, California	Feral - Little Manistee River
Splake	Lake Trout - Brook Trout Cross	Crossed using captive broodstock at Marquette State Fish Hatchery

Table 2. Total fish stocking by species and age by Michigan's fish production system in Calendar Year 2011.

Species	Age	Number
Atlantic Salmon	Fall Fingerling	22,747
Atlantic Salmon	Yearling - Sublegal	52,842
Black Crappie	Fall Fingerling	300
Brook Trout	Spring Fingerling	5,675
Brook Trout	Fall Fingerling	31,695
Brook Trout	Yearling - Sublegal	91,715
Brook Trout	Adult	1,517
Brown Trout	Fall Fingerling	188,149
Brown Trout	Yearling - Sublegal	1,404,141
Brown Trout	Adult	5,086
Channel Catfish	Spring Fingerling	30,000
Channel Catfish	Yearling	26,306
Chinook Salmon	Spring Fingerling	3,345,254
Coho Salmon	Fall Fingerling	101,145
Coho Salmon	Yearling - Sublegal	1,527,778
Fathead Minnows	Fall Fingerling	3,000
Hybrid Sunfish	Adult	2,076
Lake Herring	Spring Fingerling	9,495
Lake Sturgeon	Fall Fingerling	3,878
Lake Trout	Broodstock	1,145
Lake Trout	Spring Fingerling	50,000
Lake Trout	Yearling - Sublegal	440,387
Largemouth Bass	Yearling - Sublegal	250
Muskellunge	Fall Fingerling	15,183
Northern Pike	Fall Fingerling	20
Rainbow Trout	Fall Fingerling	68,603
Rainbow Trout	Yearling - Sublegal	635,703
Rainbow Trout	Broodstock	1,834
Redear Sunfish	Fall Fingerling	300
Splake	Yearling - Sublegal	230,718
Steelhead	Fall Fingerling	693,909
Steelhead	Yearling - Sublegal	1,161,645
Tiger Muskellunge	Fall Fingerling	100
Walleye	Fry	1,450,000
Walleye	Spring Fingerling	4,941,267
Walleye	Fall Fingerling	64,666
Yellow Perch	Fall Fingerling	180
Total		16,641,124

Table 3. Total fish stocking by species and age by Federal Fish Hatcheries in Michigan waters in Calendar Year 2011. Data not yet available.

Species	Age	Number
Brook Trout	Fry	37,520
Lake Trout	Fall Fingerling	535,119
Lake Trout	Yearling - Sublegal	3,592,685
Lake Trout	Adult	1,300
Total		4,166,624

Table 4. Total fish stocking by species and age by Tribal Fish Hatcheries in Michigan waters in Calendar Year 2011.

Species	Age	Number
Brook Trout	Adult	300
Brook Trout	Fry	41,173
Brook Trout	Spring Fingerling	88,795
Brook Trout	Yearling - Sublegal	10,796
Lake Sturgeon	Fall Fingerling	19
Lake Trout	Spring Fingerling	68,865
Lake Trout	Yearling - Sublegal	9,416
Walleye	Green Eggs	4,823,500
Walleye	Fry	306,500
Walleye	Fall Fingerling	2,906
Walleye	Spring Fingerling	38,464
Total		5,390,734

Table 5. Total fish stocking by species and age by Private Fish Hatcheries in Michigan waters in Calendar Year 2011.

Species	Age	Number
Black Crappie	Yearling	1,000
Bluegill	Adult	2,490
Brook Trout	Adult	200
Brown Trout	Spring Fingerling	600
Brown Trout	Yearling	1,000
Brown Trout	Adult	8,200
Channel Catfish	Adult	650
Fathead Minnow	Fall Fingerling	22,000
Fathead Minnow	Adult	187,000
Golden Shiners	Adult	10,830
Hybrid Sunfish	Adult	2,140
Hybrid Sunfish	Yearling	400
Largemouth Bass	Yearling	1,730
Northern Pike	Fall Fingerling	450
Rainbow Trout	Adult	18,270
Rainbow Trout	Spring Fingerling	75
Rainbow Trout	Yearling	1,030
Redear Sunfish	Fall Fingerling	1,500
Redear Sunfish	Adult	2,550
Smallmouth Bass	Yearling	155
Walleye	Fall Fingerling	55,930
Yellow Perch	Yearling	500
Yellow Perch	Adult	1,250
Total		319,950