The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced on April 6 that the annual steelhead egg collection at the Little Manistee River Weir in Stronach, Manistee County, is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday, April 14. The facility will be open to the public during these operations for those interested in observing the process.
This event draws interest from anglers, students, and community members who want to learn more about fish and fisheries management. Steelhead are valued by many for sport fishing opportunities both on the Great Lakes and in tributary streams. Hatchery-raised yearling steelhead are stocked in selected tributaries throughout all of the Great Lakes.
Since its opening in 1968, the Little Manistee River Weir has served as Michigan’s only source of winter-run steelhead eggs for state hatcheries and as a main supplier for Ohio and Indiana. This year, DNR plans to collect approximately 4.6 million eggs: Thompson State Fish Hatchery will receive most of them (3.7 million), with Ohio receiving 500,000 eggs and Indiana receiving 400,000 eggs.
Egg-take operations start each season with installation of weir boards and jump screens by mid-March to halt upstream migration of steelhead into the river. Once pumps are activated at the facility, fish are diverted into holding ponds until they become ready to reproduce—usually during April—when egg collection begins. The process continues until quotas are met.
During collections, unripe or “green” fish are either held or counted before being passed upstream to help sustain wild runs; spawned fish also re-enter Lake Michigan after being released upstream since this species can spawn multiple times. After meeting egg quotas, remaining fish may migrate upstream while boards remain in place to block invasive sea lamprey.
Egg-collection dates this spring are planned for April 14-16 and April 21-22 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., though timing depends on conditions each day. Updates can be found by calling the Little Manistee River Weir hotline at 231-775-9727 (press 8). Additional information about DNR hatcheries is available at Michigan.gov/Hatcheries.
