Recreational Fishing

Michigan Sea Grant offers many resources for recreational fishing in Michigan, including research to support fisheries, stories of those who fish, safe fish consumption, and educational and citizen science opportunities for youth and adults. 

Citizen Science

Anglers can help ensure the sustainability of Michigan’s fisheries by participating in research through data collection and observation.

Record your catches using the Great Lakes Angler Diary app and help biologists learn more about stocked and wild fish.

Research Projects

Several MISG funded research projects are helping to protect recreational fish populations:

New 2026 projects:

• Smallmouth bass in Saginaw Bay: Stock structure, seasonal movements, and effect of recreational tournament displacement. This research project will fill critical knowledge gaps on the spawning structure, long-term movements, and possible effects of displacement on smallmouth bass in Saginaw Bay. 
• Resource partitioning regulates epigenetic evolution among Lake Superior lake charr ecotypes. Lake Superior’s lake charr are unique, naturally sustaining themselves through four distinct ecological groups that use different habitats and food sources. This research will explore how these diverse lifestyles trigger “epigenetic” changes, which are modifications to how genes are expressed without altering DNA. 
• Getting out of the rough: Understanding shifting perceptions and the emergence of burbot as a recreational target. Burbot in Lake Superior face rising recreational pressure despite declining nearshore populations and a lack of official harvest regulations. This project will integrate angler surveys with on-the-ground catch data from ice fishing locations to provide fisheries managers with information needed to establish sustainable protections and ensure the long-term survival of this native Great Lakes predator.

Ongoing projects:

• Understanding where walleye spawn in Saginaw Bay to ensure better management and habitat protection
• Identifying at-risk habitats for walleye, yellow perch, and lake whitefish amid aquatic invasive species impacts

For more, see our Research Projects page.

Camps

For regional camps for students interested in fishing or learning to fish, check our events calendar for upcoming camps in your area. 

Stories of Fishers

MISG Research Fellow Erin Burkett collected stories to capture women’s experiences and photos in an interactive story map called “Connection: Stories from Women who Fish.”