In the Current:

• June 8 & 9: 2019 Summer Free Fishing Weekend! Events will be located throughout the state, or feel free to head out with friends and family!
• August 3: 2019 Take an Adult Fishing Day! Invite your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa or other adult to go fishing with you! More information can be found below.
• Join the summer fishing programs held at DNR visitor centers & state parks! There are different programs at every location and they’re a lot of fun!
• Looking for something fun to do this spring or summer? Why not visit a state fish hatchery and get an up-close look at how we rear fish in Michigan? See below for another fun reason to visit our state fish hatcheries!

Stamp & Go Guide

The DNR has a fun new tool you can use to enhance your visits to Michigan state parks and fish hatcheries – it’s called the Stamp & Go Guide! You can take this booklet and get it stamped at any Michigan state park or fish hatchery – it’s like a passport of fun!

You can pick up a booklet (for a small fee) at most state parks, Oden State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center (near Petoskey) or Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery Visitor Center (near Mattawan).

Once you’ve got your booklet you can plan trips across the state to get your stamps! The booklet is full of additional information, including details on the state parks and hatcheries, cool activities, historic sites and accessible recreation.

Most locations will start offering them for sale this May!

Four Fun Fishy Facts:

1. Do you know what mudpuppies are? These large, aquatic salamanders can be found in some parts of Michigan. They live permanently in the water!
2. “School” is the name given to a group of fish.
3. Fish don’t blink because they do not have eyelids (except for sharks!) and so they may not close their eyes to sleep like we do, but they have periods of rest that’s like our sleep.
4. A salmon’s ability to smell is far better than the smelling sense of a dog! They use this smelling superpower to find their way back to their home stream when it's time for them to reproduce.

Fun Fish Activity - Fish Dissection

Have you ever dissected a fish? Why not try the next time you are cleaning your catching from a fishing trip?

Each species of fish that you might catch may have slightly different anatomy (the organs and bones inside). But fish have similar organs to you and me! You will find their heart, brain, liver and stomach. But you will also find some specific fish organs like gills, swim bladders, scales and more!

Use this handy diagram to help identify some of the organs you might find when you dissect your next catch. And check out this website to learn what fish organs do!

Name that Fish!

Black crappie are part of the panfish family! These fish have dark, spotted markings all over their body. Michigan has white crappie too, but their markings tend to resemble bars that go up and down on their sides. Black crappie have seven or eight dorsal spines.

These fish are typically caught with live minnows or jigs, either while casting or still-fishing under a bobber. Sometimes fly fishermen even catch them!

Crappie have large mouths, capable of eating fairly good size minnows, so if you do fish for them you should use a larger hook than what you would use for bluegill or sunfish.

Crappie are a schooling fish, so if you’ve found one then you’ve generally found several!

Black crappie are often found in clear water lakes, often in and around weed beds. They are among the first of the panfish species to move shallow for spawning in the spring, when most anglers spend lots of time targeting them. After they’re done spawning they usually move out into deeper water.