MSSFA Issues Awareness
Five Things Putting Our Lake Michigan Fishery at Risk Right Now
Before you dig into the latest Great Lakes Sport Fishing News below, here’s what your Southwest Michigan Steelheaders leadership is watching. As President Alan Douville put it in this issue, “we are facing a convergence of risks” — not one bill or one bad decision, but funding, invasive species, and habitat pressures all landing at once. None of these get decided if we stay silent.
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1
Legislative · Utility Regulation Decision expected Sept. 10
Consumers Energy wants to sell 13 Michigan dams to a private equity firm
Consumers Energy has asked the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve selling 13 hydroelectric dams across five Michigan rivers to Confluence Hydro, a subsidiary of a Maryland private-equity firm. Governor Whitmer herself has objected, saying the deal “lacks firm, enforceable protections” on maintenance and safe removal. For anglers, these dams control river flow, fish passage, and habitat on waters our members fish every season — and a shell-company buyer with no track record here is exactly the wrong hands for that responsibility. The Commission’s ruling is expected September 10, 2026.
Michigan Advance → -
2
Legislative · Fisheries Funding Stalled in the House
HB 5093 — the bill that would fund the DNR Fisheries Division — is stuck
Fishing license fees haven’t moved since 2014, and the state still isn’t reimbursing the Fisheries Division nearly $3 million a year for mandated senior and resident discounts. HB 5093 would raise fees modestly, add a hatchery stamp, and fund biologist positions and cormorant control — but it remains stalled in the House. Division Chief Randy Claramunt has warned that without new revenue, Chinook egg-take could be cut by as much as 50%. This is the bill MSSFA has been pressing legislators to move since before the summer recess.
Great Lakes Echo → -
3
Invasive Species Update: construction restarted Sept. 2
Brandon Road carp barrier is back under construction — after carp were found just 80 miles from Lake Michigan
In August, biologists found hundreds of juvenile silver carp in the Illinois River’s Marseilles Pool — the furthest upstream young carp have ever been detected, and proof they’re now spawning within striking distance of the Great Lakes. The Army Corps of Engineers had halted work on the $1 billion Brandon Road barrier in late July with no explanation given. After Governors Whitmer and Pritzker pushed the White House directly, the stop-work order was lifted September 2, 2026. Good news for now — but the unexplained monthlong halt on our last line of defense against carp shows how fast this project’s federal support can wobble. We’re watching to make sure work actually stays on schedule.
Detroit News → -
4
Fishery Management 2027 cuts recommended
Chinook salmon stocking is headed for cuts as the alewife forage base keeps shrinking
Alewife — 99% of a Chinook’s diet — are showing up younger, smaller, and in fewer numbers, while king salmon biomass keeps climbing. The average 3-year-old female Chinook dropped more than 2 pounds between 2024 and 2025. Fishery managers are recommending roughly a 25% cut to Chinook stocking beginning in 2027 (Ludington alone would drop from about 100,000 to 75,000 fish) to keep predators from outrunning their food supply. Final numbers depend on Wisconsin and the rest of the Lake Michigan Committee signing on.
MSU Sea Grant → -
5
Resource Allocation Ongoing
Commercial harvest and resource allocation are back on the table — and anglers need a seat
As President Douville wrote in this issue, renewed discussions are underway on commercial harvest and resource allocation across the Great Lakes, and “every stakeholder has a seat at the table.” Recreational anglers are no exception. History shows that when sportfishing interests go quiet, decisions still get made — just without us in the room. MSSFA continues to engage decision-makers directly to make sure that doesn’t happen here.