Angling for Data on Michigan Fishes

Archives at the Institute for Fisheries Research hold meticulous records of thousands of lake surveys from the University of Michigan and Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Starting more than a century ago, surveys have been used to understand how fish were distributed across the state, which lakes would support sportfishing, and how lakes should be managed. We can now use these records of lake conditions and fish abundance and growth to understand how climate change and other factors have impacted fish communities.