A close-up view of one of the Arctic grayling that were brought to the Marquette State Fish Hatchery in Marquette County. Photo via DNR
ESCANABA, Mich. (FOX 2) - Once one of the dominant cold water fish species in Michigan, the Arctic grayling will soon be making a comeback to the state as officials prepare to stock some rivers with the fish.
On Thursday, the Natural Resources Commission approved repealing the rule that prohibits anglers from fishing for Arctic grayling. A unanimous vote during their monthly meeting in Escanaba was the final move to authorize fishing for the species.
The Arctic Grayling Initiative began in 2016 to help bring the popular fish species back to Michigan after its population collapsed from habitat loss and over harvesting. The first big move was to collect eggs from the fish in Alaska and bring them to the state. That was in 2019.
They were first cared for at an MSU facility in East Lansing before being moved to the Oden State Fish Hatchery.
In September 2020, the state marked a big milestone when Arctic grayling that were reared in captivity were moved to the Marquette State Fish Hatchery in the Upper Peninsula.
At the time, the Department of Natural Resources was considering stocking Manistee River watershed, Maple River watershed, the Boardman River watershed near Traverse City, and the Jordan River watershed near Charlevoix.
"This is not your average fish stocking endeavor," the DNR said at the time.
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That's partially due to the fish stocking needing to start in remote site incubators to allow the species to acclimate in a controlled setting before rearing them. The goal is for the species to reach a self-sustaining population in Michigan.
Now, nearly a century since the species was determined to be extirpated, the DNR will be reintroducing the species into several lakes in the U.P. Thursday's vote made it legal for anglers to catch the fish.
They'll be available for a catch-and-release fishing as early as this fall.