The Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division will be hard at work this fall and winter gathering the necessary eggs for the continued production of hatchery fish to support fisheries management objectives for Michigan’s world-class fisheries. Fall egg takes are starting or are under way for wild Chinook and coho salmon and for captive broodstocks of brown, rainbow, brook and lake trout.
Chinook salmon eggs will be collected at the Little Manistee River Weir Oct. 7-11. Coho salmon eggs will be collected at the Platte River State Fish Hatchery Weir Oct.15-22.
“From these wild egg sources, we plan to collect 4 million Chinook salmon eggs and 4.9 million coho salmon eggs,” said Gary Whelan, DNR fish production manager. “The number of Chinook salmon eggs is the same as it was last year, with stocking in Lake Michigan in spring 2014 to remain at the same levels as spring 2013.”
Of the Chinook salmon eggs collected, 2.75 million will be used in Michigan while 500,000 will go to Indiana and 750,000 to Illinois. Of the coho salmon eggs collected, 3 million will be used in Michigan while 1 million will go to Indiana and 900,000 to Illinois.
Captive broodstock egg takes for brook and lake trout are in progress until the end of October at the Marquette State Fish Hatchery. Similarly at Oden State Fish Hatchery, egg takes for brown trout have just started and will continue until mid-November. That will be followed by rainbow trout egg takes at Oden starting in December and continuing until mid-January. All captive egg takes occur every one to two weeks.
Captive broodstocks will provide 220,000 brook trout eggs, 310,000 lake trout eggs, 3 million brown trout eggs and 1 million rainbow trout eggs. An additional 440,000 splake eggs (brook trout and lake trout hybrid) will also be collected to support Michigan’s fisheries management objectives.
The public is always welcome to observe egg take efforts. It is best to call ahead to get the final egg take schedule and to ensure the collection efforts will occur. Scheduling information is available for each egg take and can be obtained by contacting each facility directly:
- Little Manistee Weir, 231-775-9727, ext. 6072
- Platte River State Fish Hatchery Weir, 231-325-4611
- Marquette State Fish Hatchery, 906-249-1611
- Oden State Fish Hatchery, 231-347-4689
To learn more about efforts through Michigan’s state fish hatcheries, visit www.michigan.gov/fishing.
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