Contribution of resident and migrant yellow perch to angler harvest in drowned river mouth lakes

Grant: # 1952

Grant Amount: $156,304.00

Board Decision Year: 2021

Grand Valley State University - Annis Water Resources Institute (Muskegon)

Annis Water Resources Institute

Ruetz, Carl ([email protected]) 616-331-3946

2021 Ecosystem Health and Sustainable Fish Populations: Ecological and Biological Research to Inform Management - Ecological and biological fisheries research to inform management

Project Summary

Yellow perch is an ecologically and economically important native species in Lake Michigan that is well below peak abundance. We propose to identify the proportion of yellow perch harvest in drowned river mouth lakes (lake-like habitats connecting a tributary to a large lake) that consists of migrants from Lake Michigan using a combination of isotopic and genetic analyses. This research will allow mangers to estimate stock contributions to harvest, which is critical for successful management.