The Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Viewing Cam was closed down on December 15th and will remain closed until late February or early March. After years of monitoring, our data indicate that fish do not use the ladder when water temperatures dip below 40 °F in the late fall through winter. Fish are expected to begin using the ladder again in the spring when temperatures get above 39 °F. The fish ladder will remain open throughout the winter to prevent frost damage.

The DNR fish cam is run by computer software called FishTick provided by Salmonsoft. Click here to view web cam photos. The approximate field of view for the fish cam is 36" x 36". FishTick simplifies the task of counting fish at dams and weirs. When counting fish, one may sit in front of the viewing window for hours and not see a thing. FishTick allows the fish counter to only view the frames that contain passing fish. This saves the counter time and ensures that all passing fish are counted.

Below are four clips of fish passage at Berrien Springs and Niles. Each clip represents a six hour time block. FishTick has compressed that six hour block and only shows frames where fish actually passed by the fish cam. The setting on the FishTick has been set low to collect small objects, so an occasional leaf can be seen passing by.

Berrien Springs, April 9, 2000, Spring Run Steelhead

Berrien Springs, July 15, 2000, Summer Steelhead

Niles, April 13, 2000, Spring Steelhead

Niles, October 13, 2000, Mix of Steelhead and Chinook Salmon

Click here for fish passage by species for Berrien Springs, Niles, and South Bend ladders from 1992-2010.

Please contact the Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit at (269) 685-6851, if you have any questions.

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