Fishing

Along with hunting, fishing is an activity specifically allowed by the Congress of the United States when it authorized the lakeshore in 1966.

Fishing Opportunities
With its many streams, inland lakes, and Lake Superior, the lakeshore offers a variety of fishing opportunities. Common cool water game fish include smallmouth bass, northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, whitefish, menominee and smelt. Trout species include brook trout, rainbow trout, lake trout and coho salmon.

The table in the fishing site bulletin offers more details about fish species of specific lakes and streams within the lakeshore.

A percentage of steelhead in the Hurricane, Sevenmile and Mosquito drainages have been implanted with a 1 inch long electronic tag to identify fish movement. The tag is free in the body cavity and should be easily observed when cleaning your catch. If you have found a PIT tag in the body cavity of a brook trout or steelhead, please take the tag to a park, forest, wildlife refuge, or DNR office. We would appreciate your name, date, location of where you caught the fish, size, and species information.

Fishing Regulations
State of Michigan fishing regulations apply, including creel limits, license requirements, and seasons. However, special restrictions apply to bait to prevent VHS, a deadly fish disease.

By Superintendent's Order, Pictured Rocks prohibits use as bait for fishing, any fish or fish part, including fish roe, amphibians, or crayfish, in NPS administered waters within the Lakeshore Zone of the National Lakeshore. Digging for bait within the Lakeshore is also prohibited.

Fishing licenses are available at businesses in local communities. A trout and salmon stamp is required to fish for many species. Persons under 17 years of age may fish without a license.

The fishery is managed jointly by the National Park Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Both Park Rangers and Michigan Conservation Officers are authorized to enforce state fishing regulations within the Lakeshore.

Fishing Tips
The best fishing is usually in the early morning and evening when many fish feed.

Your personal floatation device won't do you any good if it if inaccessible. Wear it on the inland lakes and Lake Superior. Before venturing onto the big lake, get an updated marine weather forecast and be aware of quick changes in weather and sea conditions. The only safe harbors are Munising Bay and Grand Marais Bay on either end of the lakeshore.

Ice fisherman should ensure safe ice conditions before fishing. Snowmobiles are permitted on designated roads and on Grand Sable Lake and Lake Superior.

Fisherman wishing to leave their boats unattended longer than 24 hours at designated stream mouths may do so with written permits from the Lakeshore Superintendent.