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DNRE Reminds Anglers About Bait Restrictions

Contact:  Contact Gary Whelan 517-373-1280
Agency: Natural Resources


Feb. 10, 2010

As Winter Free Fishing Weekend approaches, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment reminds anglers that the use of salmon eggs or minnows for bait is restricted in some waters as part of a strategy to slow the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS).

Anglers who purchase spawn or minnows for bait should make sure it is certified as disease-free. Certified bait is widely available and can be used anywhere. Uncertified bait may only be used in waters with fish that have tested positive for VHS.

Anglers who collect their own salmon eggs for bait from lakes Michigan, Huron or Erie or their tributaries can only use them downstream from the first upstream barrier from the lake. They may not be used on inland lakes.

VHS, a disease that causes fish to die from internal bleeding, has caused mortalities among a number of species of fish in Michigan. The disease has been found in Michigan's waters of Lake Erie and Lake Huron. VHS has been found in Lake Michigan, but not in Michigan's waters.

"There is no known treatment for VHS," said DNRE Fish Production Manager Gary Whelan, who monitors fish diseases for the department. "Our best defense against it is trying to prevent and slow its spread."

The DNRE is committed to conserve, manage, protect, and promote accessible use and enjoyment of the state's environmental, natural resource, and related economic interests for current and future generations.
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