Fishing nets of the Great Lakes

Why nets?

Many groups harvest fish from the Great Lakes, including recreational anglers, tribal fishers, state-licensed commercial businesses, scientists, and natural resource agency staff. Together, these user groups contribute to a research-based, internationally managed fishery that’s meant to support a variety of uses and values. 

There are many ways to harvest fish from the wild. Nets are one of the most efficient ways to catch fish for food, research, or to use as bait. There are many different types of nets, each designed for specific purposes in the fishery (scroll down to learn more). Gill nets and trap nets are two of the most common nets used in the open waters of the Great Lakes to catch fish for food and to conduct fisheries research. Many fish harvested this way become fresh, healthy, and sustainable food for our local communities

Look for orange!

A commercial fisher prepares to throw a buoy into the lake to mark an underwater net.

Regulations help make sure nets are used as intended in safe and sustainable ways. For safety purposes, Michigan law requires all fishing net equipment to have orange or black markers (typically flags, floats, or buoys) that are visible on the water’s surface. Nets may be held in place by anchor lines that extend several hundred feet in any direction from the orange markers and along the length of the gear. For more information about Great Lakes and marine navigational markers, see this PDF booklet from the U.S. Coast Guard.

A buoy with a orange / red flag on the Lake.Nets are often clustered together within designated management zones. In some areas of the Great Lakes, boaters and anglers could go a lifetime without encountering commercial, tribal, or state agency fishing equipment. Even in areas of active net use, most boats pass harmlessly over nets without even knowing they’re there. Visit the Michigan DNR commercial fishing website to find updated information about possible net management zones in Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie. 

For specific information on Great Lakes fishery co-management and commercial fishing regulations:

The information on this page provides essential safety tips for those who may encounter fishing nets while on the water in Michigan. Intentional damaging or tampering with fishing gear or cutting of buoys is a federal offense punishable by fine and/or imprisonment under 18 USC 241 Conspiracy Against Rights of Citizens and 18 USC 245 Federally Protected Activities. For more detailed information about specific regional or institutional regulations and authorities, please see the resources listed below:

Net users are responsible for all aspects of net safety and are required to make sure that their operating procedures are compliant with local, state, and tribal regulations. For more information about regulations and requirements for operating fishing nets in the Great Lakes, contact your local natural resources office. Tampering with commercial and tribal fishing gear is illegal and can create safety hazards for others on the water. 

Here are some key safety tips for helping everyone safely share Great Lakes waters: 

  • If you see an orange marker, pull up any of your own gear, TURN AWAY from the visible marker, and navigate out of the area.
  • If additional markers are visible, DO NOT pass between them. Give a wide berth as nets can cover over an acre (the size of a football field) underwater.
  • If a crew is actively working on a net, do not pass between the boat and nearby markers. 
  • Additional markers could be out of sight. Waves, glare, fog, or low light may limit visibility.
  • Stay mindful in surrounding waters for more nets or floating ropes.

If you get tangled

  1. TURN OFF engine or put boat in NEUTRAL.
  2. CUT yourself free using wire cutters. Label your gear if left behind.
  3. MARK location on GPS. Attach a buoy or jug to mark the net for officials. Leave the net in the water.
  4. REPORT GPS coordinates to agencies:
    • Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) hotline: (800) 292-7800
    • Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC): (715) 685-2113
    • Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA): (906) 632-0043

Types of fishing gear and nets

Just like fishing lures, types of fishing gear come in many shapes and sizes and serve a variety of roles in a fishery. Visit the “Fishing Gear Type” webpage from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to explore fishing equipment used around the world. 

Gill nets and trap nets are the most common types of nets used in the Great Lakes. Fyke (or hoop) nets, seine nets, and trawl nets may also be spotted in the region. 

Gill nets

A graphic showing a boat navigating around a gill net that is under water.

What are gill nets?

Gill nets are actively used in Great Lakes waters to catch fish for food and to conduct fisheries research. Many fish harvested this way become fresh, healthy, and sustainable food for our local communities.

Gill nets have been used for thousands of years. They are a type of passive gear designed to catch and hold fish that swim into them. Great Lakes gill nets are long and rectangular, anchored to the lake bottom to stand upright like a fence. Modern gill nets are commonly made of nylon monofilament mesh. Fish swim into the mesh openings and are held in place until the net is pulled up. Great Lakes gill nets are typically lifted completely out of the water and emptied every 24-48 hours to make sure the harvested fish can be sold or eaten at top quality. Once lifted, the net is easy to move to a new location, if needed. 

Individual nets can be 6-20 feet tall (most are under 16 feet) and 100-400 feet long. Orange markers (flags, jugs, or buoys) on the surface indicate where underwater nets are placed. Orange flags or buoys are most common; orange jugs usually indicate that the gill net is being operated under management of a subsistence/provisional fishing permit. The markers are usually arranged parallel to land and mark the end of a net and anchored line. Nets can be strung end to end in a “gang,” which can stretch 3-5 miles long. Anchored gill nets can drift in strong currents or rough weather.

Why use gill nets?

Gill nets can be operated from a small boat, such as a motor boat or canoe, or a bigger gillnet tug specifically designed for use on the Great Lakes. Gill nets can be an affordable investment for fishers without large boats, especially those who rely on gill nets to feed their family or community. Gill nets have been set in depths greater than 700 feet and can be used when the water’s surface is covered by ice. 

A soccer net (left) compared to a net that traps fish.

In the Great Lakes, gill nets can be used strategically to target particular species of fish and limit the risk of unintended bycatch. Season, location, and depth in the water column all narrow down the type of fish likely to encounter the net, thus allowing users to zero in on the species of interest. The net’s mesh size (or size of the openings in the net) determines the size of the fish caught. Fish much larger than a gill net’s mesh can’t pass through it and will be deflected. Smaller fish can easily pass through the net’s openings. Only fish meant to be caught by that particular size of net will be held in the mesh.

This allows for much more targeted use than in marine environments, where bycatch is far more common and disruptive. If non-target species are caught in a Great Lakes gill net, then users are typically required to put the fish back in the water.

Ghost nets

Great Lakes weather can be harsh and unpredictable. Wisconsin Sea Grant notes that storms, wind, shifting ice, and waves can break gill net anchor lines. These lost “ghost nets” become marine debris and can drift beneath the water’s surface for years. They present a potential hazard for boaters, anglers, and other net users. They also represent a loss of equipment, revenue, or food support for the original owners.

If you get tangled in a ghost net, follow the same steps as any other entanglement:

  1. TURN OFF engine or put boat in NEUTRAL.
  2. CUT yourself free using wire cutters. Label your gear if left behind.
  3. MARK location on GPS. Attach a buoy or jug to mark the net for officials. Leave the net in the water.
  4. REPORT GPS coordinates to agencies:
    • Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) hotline: (800) 292-7800
    • Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC): (715) 685-2113
    • Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA): (906) 632-0043

Trap Nets

A graphic showing a boat navigating around a trap net that is under water.

What are trap nets?

Trap nets are actively used in Great Lakes waters to catch fish for food and to conduct fisheries research. Many fish harvested this way become fresh, healthy, and sustainable food for our local communities.

Trap nets are a type of passive gear that use stationary mesh panels to capture fish in a holding area. In the Great Lakes, these nets are typically anchored across the lake bottom and are not baited. Trap nets can cover over an acre (the size of a football field) on the lake bottom. These net structures are supported by floats, frames, and up to 12 anchors. 

Long, tall panels of nylon mesh (lead and wing nets) guide fish into a V-shaped mesh enclosure (heart), through a tunnel, and into a central pot. Fish caught in the net can swim freely within the pot, and the mesh is large enough to allow fish below the harvest size limit to escape. The pot is typically lifted to the surface every 2-4 days to make sure the harvested fish can be sold or eaten at top quality, and that any non-target or undersized fish can be returned to the water. Lifting and resetting the anchored net requires the use of a large trap net boat, crew, and hydraulic lift.

Trap nets are large and heavy, and they represent a substantial financial investment for the operator. Setting up and removing a trap net requires a large trap net boat, a smaller boat called a tender, a multi-person crew, and a hydraulic lift. Once placed, the net generally remains anchored until the fishing season ends, when it is removed from the water. 

Trap nets are required to be placed in water shallower than 150 feet. Orange or black markers (flags, jugs, or buoys) on the surface indicate where underwater nets are placed. The markers are usually arranged perpendicular to land and mark the end of the lead net and the end of the central pot. The pot is noted with a double marker at the main anchor end. The double marker is used to tell the fishers where to lift the net for harvest. Additional orange markers may indicate the location of the net’s other anchors and rope lines for safety. 

Why use trap nets?

A commercial fishing boat with nets

Trap nets are designed to keep fish alive underwater until the net can be lifted and emptied. Fish smaller than the target size easily swim out through the mesh, and fish of target size can swim freely in the central pot. Fishers typically use dip nets to scoop the fish into a tub instead of removing them from the net by hand. Because trap nets are placed at the bottom of the water column, they may catch non-target species. However, bycatch can live in the pot, and Great Lakes trap net users are typically required to return bycatch to the water.

A fisher raises the net from the lake

Trap net safety

Because of their size and weight, trap nets can pose a greater risk for boats that get tangled in a net or its anchor lines. Boaters should NOT attempt to pull free from a snag or pull up the gear; the rest of the net will remain anchored to the lake bottom and could cause further damage to the boat or those on board.

Surface markers indicate the layout of an underwater trap net and can help boaters safely navigate around them. A double flag marks the deeper end of the net, and a single flag marks the shallower end. Just remember: “See double, go deep. See single, stay shallow.”

It’s crucial for boaters to follow these safety tips if tangled in a trap net:

  1. TURN OFF engine or put boat in NEUTRAL.
  2. CUT yourself free using wire cutters. Label your gear if left behind.
  3. MARK location on GPS. Attach a buoy or jug to mark the net for officials. Leave the net in the water.
  4. REPORT GPS coordinates to agencies:
    • Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) hotline: (800) 292-7800
    • Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC): (715) 685-2113
    • Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA): (906) 632-0043

Fyke and hoop nets

a group of people attending a presentation, look at a fyke net out of water.

What are fyke and hoop nets?

Fyke and hoop nets are actively used in Great Lakes waters to support fisheries research and recreational fishing. They’re often found in shallow or inland waters. 

Much smaller than trap nets, fyke and hoop nets are passive gear designed to catch and hold fish that swim into them. A hoop net is a cylindrical trap held open by a series of rings, forming a tunnel toward a central pot. A fyke net is a much more complex design that includes leader lines that guide fish into the net. These nets are fixed to the lake bottom by stakes or anchors. Fyke and hoop nets are usually managed with small boats or by hand.

Unlike nets placed in deeper water, boaters may be more likely to encounter fyke and hoop nets. If snagged, boaters should follow these safety guidelines:

  1. TURN OFF engine or put boat in NEUTRAL.
  2. CUT yourself free using wire cutters. Label your gear if left behind.
  3. MARK location on GPS. Attach a buoy or jug to mark the net for officials. Leave the net in the water.
  4. REPORT GPS coordinates to agencies:
    • Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) hotline: (800) 292-7800
    • Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC): (715) 685-2113
    • Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA): (906) 632-0043