Lake Michigan fisheries workshop brings anglers and researchers together

Posted November 16th, 2016 in Fisheries
fisheries

The first of hopefully many recreational fishing workshops brought together more than 40 researchers, managers, stakeholders, and anglers last week to Hammond Marina in Indiana to learn about food web research, updates on fisheries, and ongoing monitoring in southern Lake Michigan.

Mitchell Zischke, IISG research and extension fishery specialist, organized the event.

“I have presented research at similar workshops for Lake Huron hosted by Michigan Sea Grant. These workshops were well attended and a great opportunity for anglers, scientists, managers, and others to interact,” said Zischke. “I wanted to develop a similar program for southern Lake Michigan, particularly in light of recent ecosystem and fishery changes like the declining populations of alewife.”

The five speakers hailed from NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Ball State University, and Illinois Natural History Survey.

Mitch_Fisheries_cropped

Mitchell Zischke, IISG research and extension fishery specialist, pictured on the right, organized the event.

Topics included recent changes in the base of the food web, status and trends of prey fish, mass-marking of Chinook salmon and lake trout, long-term monitoring of yellow perch, and angler surveys and the recreational fishery focusing on the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan.

Howard Petroski, known as “Captain Ski,” ran Paradise Charters out of East Chicago for 25 years until it shut down about 14 years ago. Even though he now just fishes recreationally, he still follows what’s happening in Lake Michigan.

“What they’re showing with the decline of the perch was pretty obvious, but now it’s more obvious that they showed it on the charts,” Petroski said.

According to Zischke, this first workshop just scratched the surface on topics relevant to anglers in southern Lake Michigan.

“There were actually more people willing to present than I could fit in the workshop agenda. We hope that these workshops can become an annual event in both Indiana and Illinois, that way we can continue to provide anglers and other lake-users with up-to-date information on the Lake Michigan fishery and ecosystem as a whole. In fact, attendees at our recent workshop said that they can’t wait for the next one!”

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant is a part of University of Illinois Extension and Purdue Extension.

IISG Instagram

Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.

Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral.

Application deadline: June 3, 2026.

To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18059750612478364
Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

PD hours + Great Lakes science + hands-on learning? Yes please.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant has five educator workshops lined up for spring and summer 2026, covering birds, watersheds, coastal science, earth systems, and engineering design.

🐦 May 3 · 💧 June 10 · 🌊 July 16 · 🌍 July 31–Aug 1 · 🏗️ Aug 18

Real-world connections. Field experiences. Takeaways your students will actually feel.

🔗 Register at the link in bio.

12 0
Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18085146428065200
PD hours + Great Lakes science + hands-on learning? Yes please.Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant has five educator workshops lined up for spring and summer 2026, covering birds, watersheds, coastal science, earth systems, and engineering design.🐦 May 3 · 💧 June 10 · 🌊 July 16 · 🌍 July 31–Aug 1 · 🏗️ Aug 18Real-world connections. Field experiences. Takeaways your students will actually feel.🔗 Register at the link in bio.