Thread: 2018 fishing regulations

It sure, I thought it was a 2 year regulation, or maybe that was hunting.

Only changes last few years were Walleye numbers.

Those are strange to me anyway.....

Canadian Side of Detroit River 6 fish, American side 5, Um it’s the same river......

Others who know more can chime in....


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Walleye are done every year on Erie. It is a concortium between Ontario, Ohio, and Michigan. Usually the numbers are published late spring to early summer. Last year, Erie (Michigan waters) had a 6 fish limit. The Detroit river (Michigan side) was 5 fish. The Ontario side was 6 fish and then LSC I believe was 6 fish as well. It ends up equalling out. A give and take. I think Ontario has a lower number on Erie but higher on the Detroit river. In turn, Michigan raises the number in Erie and LSC. Ontario also has a higher LSC number. It equals out.

No big changes that I have heard. I suspect they will play with a few numbers for Pike on certain lakes (as always). It really depends on how bad a lake gets. If you don't know what I mean by bad, wait until you fish Houghton lake!!!!

I suspect that they will look at regulations for Salmon again. Specifically doing what they did in the 90's to the early 2000's. During that time, there was a decline in the numbers. As a result, they limited your daily limit to 5 fish in combination with no more than 3 of any one species. In other words, each person could keep up to three salmon and then combine two steelhead in with that. It was for all of Michigan at that time and ended in the early 2000's when the salmon numbers started to really bounce above the holding allowance.

This regulation COULD be the main reason why the numbers turned the way they did. I think they caught the issue to late to do anything about it. In the late 90's, the salmon really started peaking. When you are not taking as many, the numbers became staggering. As a result, the population of Alewife, smelt, and perch started nose diving. By the time they caught it, it was too late. Hence the issue we have today. They don't want to plant salmon specifically because of the low numbers of forage. Similar to what happened to lake Huron in the late 80's. That fishery never came back for salmonoids.

Ironically, they have discontinued the vast majority of Salmonoid planting BUT, they increased it with huge numbers of Musky planting. Not really sure how that will help but, they are getting some huge fish in the Green bay (not the city).