Interim 2023 Eat Safe Fish Updates

NOTICE: The Eat Safe Fish program has released new interim fish consumption guidelines for rainbow smelt and carp as of January 2023.

The following waterbodies have new consumption guidelines for rainbow smelt due to PFOS:

• Lake Huron: No more than 6 MI Servings per year.
• Lake Michigan: No more than 1 MI Serving per month.
• Portage Lake in Houghton County: No more than 1 MI Serving per month.
• Gull Lake in Kalamazoo County: No more than 2 MI Servings per month.
• Higgins Lake in Roscommon County: No more than 4 MI Servings per month.

MI Serving sizes are not the same for everyone and are calculated based on body weight. For information on how to calculate your personal MI Serving, view page 6 of your region’s Eat Safe Fish Guide.

The following waterbodies have new consumption guidelines for carp due to PCBs:

• Thompson Lake in Livingston County: Do Not Eat. This means everyone should avoid eating carp from Thompson Lake.
• Earl Lake in Livingston County: Limited. This means individuals under age 15, those with health problems such as cancer or diabetes, and those who might have children in the next several years, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding should avoid eating carp from Earl Lake. All other individuals should limit their consumption of carp from Earl Lake to one or two servings per year.

For more information on Do Not Eat and Limited, view page 7 of your region’s Eat Safe Fish Guide.

You can find additional details in the press release here.