Free steelhead identification decals help Lake Superior anglers avoid keeping protected fish

DULUTH As spring fishing ramps up on Lake Superior anglers are hitting the water in pursuit of steelhead lake trout coho and chinook salmon To help protect wild steelhead Minnesota Sea Grant is distributing free identification decals to help anglers distinguish between steelhead and other salmon species while they re out on the water Minnesota fishing regulations require that all wild steelhead be published These are naturally reproducing fish and are protected by a catch-and-release rule The decals are free but recipients are sought to complete a five-minute survey at the end of the angling season The survey provides information on the effectiveness of the decal and helps the Sea Grant determine if there s interest in similar identification tools for other Lake Superior fish Wild steelhead can be identified by their intact adipose fin the small fleshy fin located on the fish s back Hatchery-raised steelhead have a clipped missing adipose fin and may be harvested with a daily limit of three fish over inches In Minnesota Sea Grant surveyed of the or so anglers who requested a steelhead identification decal Half of the respondents explained they used the decal to identify the fish they caught The bulk importantly of those who reported they caught a wild steelhead also announced they would have mistakenly kept the fish if they had not used the identification decal We re pleased to see anglers using the steelhead identification decals Don Schreiner Minnesota Sea Grant fisheries specialist reported in a announcement Protecting wild steelhead from harvest allows these fish to spawn which helps increase the steelhead population When requested where they fished of the decal users shared fishing on Lake Superior by boat in tributary streams and from shore with a sparse anglers fishing at multiple locations When required about decal placement of anglers affixed it to their boat another to their tackle box and to a cooler The remaining of respondents indicated that they had not attached the decal Additionally of respondents announced that others were interested in the decal and learned from it More than of respondents also expressed interest in receiving identification decals for fish of other species We thank everyone who participated in our survey and shared their experiences Schreiner noted We anticipate conducting another survey of decal recipients in late For more information on Minnesota Sea Grant s Steelhead or Salmon Which Did You Catch project go to z umn edu MNSG-Steelhead-Salmon Related Articles Lake of the Woods Rainy River deliver walleyes on Minnesota fishing opener Wisconsin angler fishing in Lake Michigan fog discovers remains of abandoned tugboat J C Ames Gov Walz encourages legislators and anglers to get the lead out Walleyes take center stage as Minnesota Fishing Opener approaches MN Wellbeing Department updates fish consumption guidelines for PFAS