Michigan DNR wants help tracking hybrid splake fish in Lake Superior

Fall means popular splake fishing on Lake Superior. And the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is asking anglers to help them understand better how the fish live in the largest Great Lake.

The DNR has stocked splake, a hybrid cross between lake trout and brook trout, in Lake Superior most years since 1971, and every year since 1990. DNR staff give the fish a unique mark or fin clip, such as removing a small adipose fin from individual fish or clipping a fin in two.

Fishermen are then asked to report when they catch a clipped splake. The information helps fisheries managers understand the percentage of stocked fish caught, the home range of splake, fish size and other information.

"Preliminary study results indicate that most splake remain in close proximity to their respective stocking locations," said George Madison, a DNR biologist for western Lake Superior.

"Splake are known to prefer shallow water habitats, meaning these fish are accessible with small boats or shore-casting during the open-water periods on Lake Superior. Splake are also readily available through the ice during winter fishing months."

The evaluation study will be run through 2030.

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Identifying a marked splake in the field can be difficult. DNR staff suggest looking for a missing or misshapen fin, or a jawbone clip, a potential indicator the fish has been marked. Marked fish can then be reported at michigan.gov/eyesinthefield, or to DNR staff stationed at various ports along the Lake Superior shoreline.

For more information on fish marking in Michigan, visit michigan.gov/taggedfish.

Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan DNR: Help track splake hybrid trout fish in Lake Superior