Splake restocked in Lake Superior

Tuesday morning, 35,000 splake were dumped into Munising Bay in an effort to diversify the fishery. Every year since 1974, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has stocked Lake Superior with thousands of fish to benefit anglers. This restocking allows for anglers to fish right near the shoreline rather than having to have a large vessel to head out further into the water.

"What we're really looking for with the result here is adding diversity to the fishery," said Cory Kovacs, Fisheries Biologist for the DNR. "We already have a pretty good fishery, with whitefish, yellow perch, as well as some lake trout out here so adding splake to the fishery provides anglers more opportunity to get something near shore. They don't have to run out fifteen, twenty miles on Lake Superior."

The Splake, which are a lake trout/brook trout hybrid are hatched and grown at the Marquette Fishery for a year before they're shipped out on large trucks to locations across the UP. While it may seem like this trip could be traumatic for the fish, despite a bit of confusion after the initial dump, most will adjust to be happy and healthy in their new home.

"They're pretty hearty the way they are, but some of them may be a little more affected," said Tony Beck, Fisheries Technician for the DNR. "They get disoriented coming out of the truck. It's kind of a stressful day for the fish, but eventually they figure out where they're at and are nice and happy."

Since the fish are a hybrid, they do not naturally reproduce in the wild, and due to the brook trout portion of their hybrid, they have a relatively short lifespan. Most splake will only live for two to four years, and can grow up to ten pounds in that time. Even though splake aren't typically found on a restaurant menu, many anglers love to take them home for dinner once they reach the legal 15 inches to be caught.

"These are very popular table fare," said Kovacs. "In fact, you can have three splake out here in Munising Bay, and anglers will try to catch their limit any time they absolutely can."

Though the splake that were dropped off today won't be ready to fish until about next year, the splake that were stocked last spring should be large enough and ready to catch within the next few weeks.