Editor’s note: This post was written by 2023 intern Ava Tackabury.
Research partners (including The Nature Conservancy, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, and myself) are currently studying the return of Lake Whitefish spawning to Lake Michigan rivers. Historically, Lake Whitefish spawned upstream in Lake Michigan tributaries, but logging and damming in the late 1800s nearly put an end to river spawning and contributed to a large population decline. Lake Whitefish are not only an important cultural and economic asset for commercial and tribal fisheries but also integral to the biodiversity of the Great Lakes.
Earlier this summer, I participated in a stocking effort in the Pine River where we introduced 4,000 Lake Whitefish fry (raised in a Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians hatchery) to see if they would “imprint” on the river and return to the river to spawn later in life. Hopefully, this effort can become more broadly applicable to other Lake Michigan rivers later on in helping Lake Whitefish return. Read more about the project via The Nature Conservancy. Here are some photos from the experience: