Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. Use the link above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use the button above to visit the hunting home page, or go directly to your area of interest below:
Information on DNR shooting and archery ranges, rules and regulations, resources to get started and more. Use the button above to visit the target shooing and archery home page, or go directly to one of the pages below:
Find snowmobile trail permit info, maps, rules and regulations and more. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below:
Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Click the box above for tips and tricks to fill your basket.
Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more.
Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more.
Find a great trail experience near you - whether you want to hike, bike, snowmobile or ride an ORV. From long, paved linear trails to rugged forest terrain, Michigan offers trail opportunities for all abilities and interests.
Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Click the box above to see all our locations, or click the individual location below.
We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. Visit the grants home page by clicking on the button above, or view a specific area of interest below:
Recreational Safety and Hunter Education
Learn about Michigan's diverse range of fish, plants, trees, reptiles, amphibians, insects and mammals. Click the box above to see all species, or click the species group below.
DNR educators across the state provide fun, educational activities, programs and workshops year-round for adults, families and kids. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below.
DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Click the box above to learn more about Michigan's state forests.
All DNR-related boards, committees, and advisory groups
Find seasonal, part-time and full-time job openings with the DNR
Search is currently unavailable. Please try again later.
The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
Illustration by Joseph R. Tomelleri ©
Prosopium cylindraceum - scientific name
(Native Fish) Two dorsal fins including one adipose fin, small mouth, long cylindrical body. Small, laterally compressed mouth and snout is pointed slightly downward. Single flap of skin between nostrils, compared to two flaps for lake whitefish and cisco. Average size is 8-12 inches, with some reaching greater than 22 inches. The round whitefish (menominee), although unfamiliar to many anglers, is native to all the Great Lakes except Lake Erie.
Few anglers have caught and eaten menominee, but those who do find them excellent eating. They are primarily a commercial species, similar to lake whitefish but somewhat smaller. Menominee are rarely seen except when they venture into shallow (6-48 foot deep) waters in April and May and again in October and November. They are considered a shallow water species in the Great Lakes, but may range out to depths as great as 150 feet. Anglers may encounter menominee also inhabiting rivers.
Review Fishing Guide for current rules and regulations »
Menominee are bottom feeders: they live on small clams, snails, insect larvae (especially mayfly) and fish eggs. They especially love lake trout eggs.
Spawning occurs over gravel shoals in the fall of the year, usually November in the Great Lakes region. Neither the male nor female eats during pre-spawning periods. The males arrive at the spawning grounds first, and when the females arrive, they swim off in pairs rather than form a spawning school. Neither parent guards the fertilized eggs which hatch the following April. Young menominee grow quickly: adults reach a maximum size of about 22 inches in length and five pounds in weight. Their life-span probably doesn't exceed 12 or 13 years.
