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Showcasing the DNR

Showcasing the DNR

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Topics range from fishing and hunting to history and outdoor recreation. This is a weekly feature story sent on Thursday.

Recent stories

Lake Huron walleye: The new centerpiece of Michigan's Great Lakes fishery

Walleye is now the most harvested species in the Michigan waters of the Great Lakes, followed by yellow perch. These findings are part of the 2025 Statewide Angler Survey Program (also known as “creel survey”) estimates recently announced. This trend has been developing due to shifts in the food web of Lake Huron (and to a lesser extent, Lake Michigan) with the invasion of dreissenid mussels, which are members of the family of small, freshwater, aquatic, bivalve mollusks.
Lake Huron walleye: The new centerpiece of Michigan's Great Lakes fishery
child holding walleye on fishing pole in boat with smiling adult behind her and bridge in background

Looking back on a snowy, significant snowmobile season

The 2025-26 snowmobile season proved to be one of the best in recent years, because of consistent snowfall, riders out enjoying the trails around the state and an ongoing, successful Michigan Department of Natural Resources statewide safety campaign – Ride Right – that is steadily helping shift snowmobilers’ mindsets when it comes to safely navigating Michigan’s more than 6,300 miles of snowmobile trails.
Looking back on a snowy, significant snowmobile season
A snowmobiler enjoys a downhill ride on a sunny winter afternoon

New 1,100-foot accessible boardwalk opens at Tahquamenon Falls State Park

A new 1,100-foot, fully accessible boardwalk, which replaces an aging staircase, has opened at Tahquamenon Falls State Park's Upper Falls. The new feature will offer all visitors close-up, panoramic views of the Tahquamenon River as it rushes over the edge and drops about 50 feet.
New 1,100-foot accessible boardwalk opens at Tahquamenon Falls State Park
Person in wheelchair looks downstream at the Upper Tahquamenon Falls viewing deck with another person pointing at river

Chevy Commons: An uncommonly revitalized green space in the heart of downtown Flint

Chevy in the Hole — the former General Motors manufacturing complex and once a highly contaminated brownfield site along the Flint River — is now Chevy Commons, a 60-acre park unit located on the river just a few blocks from downtown Flint. The transformation into a thriving parks and outdoor recreation anchor happened thanks to grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. This year, the Trust Fund celebrates 50 years of investing in communities, protecting natural resources and expanding access to outdoor recreation.

Chevy Commons: An uncommonly revitalized green space in the heart of downtown Flint
A rendering from the Flint Riverfront Restoration Plan for Chevy Commons; designs by Wade Trim and ​Rowe Professional Services.

Three pathways named Pure Michigan Trails

One trail stretches miles along southeast Michigan’s coastline, while another travels through three Oakland County communities and connects to a larger cross-state route between lakes Michigan and Huron. A third, the state’s second-longest rail trail, connects 15 towns and cities. Each one of these pathways is known for offering unforgettable trail experiences, and this spring they have this in common, too: All have been named recipients of the Pure Michigan Trail designation, an annual recognition highlighting the state’s top trails.
Three pathways named Pure Michigan Trails
two people walking dogs on paved White Pine Trail

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