Pictured Rocks

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Reintroduction Project, Michigan

Northern Michigan University (NMU), the Fred Waara Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service are working together to reintroduce coaster brook trout in three small streams at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. They are Hurricane Creek, Mosquito Creek and Seven-Mile Creek. The project uses a unique system to monitor the movements of tagged fish year round. PIT (passive integrated transponder) is a passive, stationary, year round system used to detect and record the passage of tagged fish in streams. The PIT system is being used to monitor fish passage in 4-5 streams including the three streams that are planted each year with coasters.

This reintroduction and monitoring project looks to expand our understanding of the environmental variables important to triggering migration and how brook trout, particularly coasters, respond to these variables including winter conditions and temperature. By identifying the importance of these environmental variables researchers look to increase prospects for successful reintroductions at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and throughout Lake Superior.

Over 100,000 fingerlings have been stocked at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from 1999-2003. These fish were planted each year in the fall but beginning in 2004 both yearlings and fingerlings will be planted in the spring in an effort to increase adult returns. In 2003, stocking by hand and planting fish less densely within streams was initiated to enhance post-stocking survival and will continue into 2004. This labor intensive stocking method was made possible by the Fred Waara Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

In 2005 monitoring indicated that native wild brook trout were moving back and forth between streams in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  Reintroduction stocking has since been suspended at the request of the National Park Service to allow scientists to assess whether these trout constitute a remnant coaster population or not.  Related research is also examining how brook trout respond when nonnative trout and salmon are removed.  

To become involved or for more information please contact Dr. Jill Leonard at NMU by email at jileonar@nmu.edu or Doug Miller, Fred Waara TU Chapter President by email at swampycamp@aol.com.