The Department of Natural Resources' Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit has announced fishery management actions and activities for the 2009-2010 angling season. These actions and activities include regulations, fish stocking, habitat rehabilitation projects, creel census, and fish community surveys.

"These management updates are provided as a means to notify anglers and the public of changes in management and to make lake and stream property owners aware of our survey activities," said Jay Wesley, Southern Lake Michigan Unit manager in Plainwell. "We also value public input regarding our management actions and encourage anglers to report on current management activities."

The Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit covers the Grand, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Galien river watersheds and all the lakes and streams within that area. Each year, fisheries biologists and technicians evaluate management options on various water bodies in order to achieve increased fishery benefits. Fish stocking actions are reviewed at least every six years based on fish community or creel surveys. Counties with specific management actions and waters that are planned for surveys in 2009 are listed below. Anglers are asked to provide feedback on specific management options.

Allegan County

The Kalamazoo River was sampled in April to determine the presence of spawning lake sturgeon as part of a long-term population rehabilitation effort. Along with the population assessments, spawning and juvenile lake sturgeon habitat projects are being planned. Osterhout Lake will continue to be stocked with muskellunge based on a recent survey. Walleye stocking will resume in Selkirk Lake to continue to control bluegill stunting once disinfection techniques and other procedures are approved for preventing the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSv).

Barry County

Fish community surveys were conducted in May for Payne and Chief Noonday lakes. Brown trout will continue to be stocked in Glass Creek due to insufficient natural reproduction to sustain the fishery. The Nashville Dam will be removed on the Thornapple River. A regulation proposal to remove Gun Lake (Allegan and Barry counties) and Pine Lake (Barry County) from the list of lakes that are closed to the taking of wigglers and crayfish for commercial purposes is being reviewed.

Berrien County

Singer Lake will continue to be stocked with rainbow trout. Big Meadow Creek will continue to be stocked with brown trout, and anglers are encouraged to report trout catches to determine angler interest in future stocking. A regulation proposal to remove the "no more than one (1) walleye over 23" may be possessed from the St. Joseph River below Berrien Springs Dam to the mouth at St. Joseph/Benton Harbor" is being reviewed. A creel survey will be conducted throughout the summer and fall at the Port of St. Joseph/Benton Harbor.

Calhoun County

There is a regulation proposal to add Harts Lake to the Quality Non-Trout Fishing Lakes designation, which would provide catch-and-release fishing only. Dam removal and stream restoration will be completed on Rice Creek near Marshall. A fisheries survey will be conducted on the Kalamazoo River upstream of Battle Creek as part of a long-term fixed sampling program.

Cass County

Harwood Lake will continue to be stocked with rainbow trout. After a 2007 creel survey revealed no catches of rainbow trout on Shavehead Lake, stocking will be discontinued. The type B trout lake regulation on Shavehead Lake will also be removed for 2010. Dewey Lake was surveyed in May to evaluate fish health following a fish die off in 2008. Pokagon Creek will be surveyed as part of a long-term fixed sampling program.

Clinton County

Looking Glass River will be surveyed as part of a long-term fixed sampling program.

Eaton County

The Battle Creek River restoration project will be completed this summer in Charlotte by diverting the existing flow into the restored meander section.

Jackson County

Brown trout stocking will continue in Snyder Brook.

Kalamazoo County

Eagle Lake in the Fort Custer Recreation Area will be stocked for the first time with muskellunge in the fall of 2009. Spring Brook will be surveyed as part of a long-term fixed sampling program.

Kent County

Lincoln Lake walleye stocking will resume once disinfection techniques and other procedures are approved for preventing the spread of VHSv. Muskellunge stocking will be discontinued on Campau Lake due to low forage numbers and lack of angler catches. Murray Lake will continue to be stocked with muskellunge. Surveys will be conducted to determine the population status of lake sturgeon in the Grand River below 6th Street Dam. Anglers are reminded that all lake sturgeon must be returned to the Grand River. There is no legal harvest of lake sturgeon in most areas of the state including the Grand River due to their threatened status. A regulation proposal to close the Flat River (Kent County) to bow and spear fishing from M-21 (T06N R09W 02) downstream to the confluence of with the Grand River during April 1-May 31 is being reviewed. This is to protect the state threatened river redhorse sucker.

Montcalm County

Crystal Lake will continue to be stocked with walleye once VHSv disinfection techniques are approved.

Muskegon County

Little Blue Lake was surveyed in June to evaluate the fish community. A creel survey will be conducted this summer and fall at the Port of Muskegon.

Newaygo County

Walleye stocking will be discontinued in Bills Lake due to poor survival and lack of angler success.

Ottawa County

The Pigeon River will continue to be stocked with brown trout. The Port of Grand Haven will have a creel survey throughout summer and fall.

St. Joseph County

Klinger Lake will continue to be stocked with walleye. Redear sunfish stocking was discontinued on Long Lake (Colon Township). Clear and Long (Fabius Township) lakes were surveyed in June to evaluate the fish community and will have creel surveys throughout the summer to evaluate angler use.

Van Buren County

Lake of the Woods will continue to be stocked with walleye. Muskellunge stocking will continue on Round Lake. Brown trout will continue to be stocked in Brush Creek. A sediment trap on Brush Creek will be abandoned due to lack of best management practices in the watershed to limit sediment inputs. The trap was not effective or practical with these continued sediment inputs. A creel survey will be conducted at the Port of South Haven throughout the summer and fall.

For more information about fishing opportunities in Michigan, visit the DNR Fisheries Web pages at www.michigan.gov/dnrfishing.