In a move to boost local fishing opportunities, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) stocked thousands of fish in the Dexter area. In May, 4,150 brown trout were introduced into Mill Creek at Shields Road near Dexter. Following this, in June, the DNR stocked Big Portage Lake with 39,497 walleyes.

These efforts are part of a larger state-wide initiative where the DNR has stocked over 9.1 million fish in 2024, weighing nearly 321 tons and including 10 different species and one hybrid. This extensive fish stocking supports both recreational fishing and Michigan’s economy, which benefits by an estimated $4.2 billion, while the Great Lakes fishery is valued at more than $7 billion.

The stocking process, crucial for maintaining fish populations, involved 17 specialized trucks traveling over 100,000 miles to reach 691 stocking sites. Fish were released early in the spring to avoid peak migration periods of predators like cormorants.

“We had another excellent spring and summer stocking season that will bring ecological benefits and fishing opportunities to Michigan anglers,” said Aaron Switzer, DNR fish production manager. “Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff, healthy, high-quality fish were reared and delivered to stocking sites in excellent condition. The numbers produced and stocked met the targets for most areas.”

Michigan’s state fish hatcheries play a key role in this initiative, each specializing in different fish species based on their water sources. The six state and two cooperative hatcheries raised fish for up to 1.5 years before stocking. Highlights of their contributions include:

• Marquette State Fish Hatchery: Stocked 323,710 lake trout, brook trout, and splake, weighing 41,771 pounds.
• Thompson State Fish Hatchery: Stocked 1,171,696 steelhead and Chinook salmon, weighing 102,442 pounds.
• Oden State Fish Hatchery: Stocked 762,074 brown and rainbow trout, weighing 112,704 pounds, plus 3,689 adult trout weighing 8,148 pounds.
• Harrietta State Fish Hatchery: Stocked 684,487 brown and rainbow trout, weighing 84,812 pounds.
• Platte River State Fish Hatchery: Stocked 2,272,494 Atlantic salmon, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon, weighing 161,396 pounds, plus 31,514 Skamania steelhead.
• Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery: Stocked 1,485,711 steelhead, muskellunge, and Chinook salmon, weighing 123,381 pounds, plus 22,067 channel catfish.

Additionally, the cooperative teaching hatchery at Lake Superior State University stocked 19,285 Atlantic salmon in the St. Marys River.

The public is encouraged to visit Michigan’s state fish hatcheries to witness the fish rearing process firsthand. More information can be found at Michigan.gov/Hatcheries, and the Fish Stocking Database at michigandnr.com/fishstock provides details on where the fish were stocked.