Commercial fishers to pursue netting of Lake Michigan trout

Madison - Commercial fishermen in Wisconsin would like the state to open the Lake Michigan lake trout fishery to commercial netting, according to an industry representative.

"We have contributed mightily to lake trout rehabilitation in the lake," said Charlie Henriksen of Sister Bay, a commercial fisherman and representative for the Lake Michigan Commercial Fishing Board. "If we want to make use of these fish, it's time that commercial fishing was part of the discussion."

Henriksen's comments came Wednesday as the Natural Resources Board unanimously approved a scoping statement to allow increased opportunities for sport anglers to harvest lake trout on Lake Michigan.

If a pending emergency rule is approved, starting in 2017 sport anglers would have a year-round season and an increased bag limit for lake trout. The season is now closed from Nov. 1 to the end of February to protect the fish as they spawn.

In addition, sport anglers would be able to fish for nine months of the year on the Mid Lake Reef Complex, an area now closed year-round.

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The changes were requested by some Lake Michigan fishermen, especially charter captains and other members of the Wisconsin Lakeshore Business Association, as a means to address record low forage levels in the lake.

Rather than cut chinook salmon stocking as the other three Lake Michigan state agencies opted to do, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources was persuaded to cut lake trout and brown trout stocking, as well as pursue more opportunities for sport anglers to harvest lake trout.

“Many stakeholders expressed interest in harvesting more lake trout immediately to reduce the number of trout in the lake, thereby decreasing predation pressure on alewives,” according to the DNR’s scoping statement.

Further, lake trout are “not currently as desirable by angling businesses (guides and charter boats) as chinook,” the agency said.

After being decimated in the mid-20th century by sea lampreys, the lake trout population in Lake Michigan has increased in recent decades through stocking efforts of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and protective regulations.

Wisconsin currently has no commercial lake trout fishery on Lake Michigan. Tribal fishermen in Michigan are allowed to net lake trout in that state's waters.

Wisconsin commercial fishermen have assisted the lake trout rehabilitation through decades of gear restrictions and area closures, Henriksen said.

The recent move to increase lake trout harvest opened a door for commercial fishermen.

"The data in the scope statement got our attention," Henriksen said.

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According to the DNR, the lake trout population in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan could sustain a harvest of about 80,000 lake trout annually and not jeopardize the rehabilitation.

Over the last 20 years, Wisconsin sport anglers have averaged an annual harvest of 29,500 lake trout, according to DNR figures.

Henriksen said it's unclear what the proposed changes in sport fishing regulations will bring, but there likely would be plenty of fish left in the "safe" harvest.

"If you took 30,000 or 40,000 of those lake trout and gave them to commercial fishermen, there would be a tremendous benefit," Henriksen said.

The economic gain would extend to restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses that could sell the product, Henriksen said.

"We haven't talked about this before, because (the idea of increased lake trout harvest) just came up," Henriksen said. "I don't know that the changes in regulations will make people target lake trout. But we're here to help."

Henriksen said the commercial fishing board supported the scoping statement for sport anglers.

He also said the commercial fishermen would like to get a lake trout quota for Lake Michigan.

Public hearings likely will be held early in 2017 on an emergency rule to change the sport fishing regulations for lake trout. Any changes to commercial fishing rules for lake trout would have to be dealt with separately.