Looking for opportunities to try a new outdoor pursuit or learn the skills you need to get out on the water or in the woods with confidence?

We've got you covered with a slate of DNR Outdoor Skills Academy classes offering in-depth, expert, hands-on instruction to help you do just that. Spring classes include:

• Maple Syrup Clinic, April 1 in Cadillac. Covers the tools needed to make maple syrup, how to process the sap and make maple sugar, canning and more. Cost is $30.
• Steelhead Fishing Clinic, April 15-16 in Cadillac. Learn various strategies and techniques for chasing Michigan’s “chrome torpedoes,” including time fishing on the Manistee River. Cost is $30.
• Walleye Fishing Clinic, April 16 in Cadillac. Pro walleye tournament angler Dan Miller and others will cover the A to Z of walleye fishing and tips for chasing trophy fish. Cost is $45.

• Saginaw Bay Walleye Clinic, May 2-3 in Bay City. Includes a tips and techniques session led by Walleye Trail World Champion Captain Mark Martin (shown here) and Captain Brandon Stanton of Team Gunsmoke Sportfishing and Guide Service and time with Martin's pro-staff on charter boats fishing Saginaw Bay and River. Cost is $375.
• Fly Fishing Clinic, May 27-28 in Cadillac. This class for beginners will cover the basics of fly fishing, including various fly casts and fly selection based on target species. Cost is $40.

Coming up this summer and fall are two more fly-fishing sessions and classes on wilderness survival, bear hunting, trapping and various aspects of deer hunting. Find a full class schedule at Michigan.gov/OutdoorSkills.

Questions? Contact Ed Shaw at 231-779-1321.

If you’re a fan of heading off the beaten path, you’re probably familiar with Michigan’s thousands of miles of state forest roads. The DNR annually updates state forest road maps on April 1. Maps are available in an interactive web format and as printable PDFs.

Forest road maps are updated each year based on considerations including changing road conditions, data cleanup and input received from residents. Maps show which state forest roads are open or closed to off-road and conventional vehicle use. It’s important to stay on these roads to prevent erosion and damage to wildlife habitat.

After the annual road inventory and review, the following will be open to ORVs:

• In the Upper Peninsula, more than 5,503 miles – about 98% of the total mileage.
• In the northern Lower Peninsula, about 6,109 miles – about 84% of the total mileage.
• In the southern Lower Peninsula, just over 10 miles – about 3% of the total mileage.

Review ORV rules, regulations, closures and more at Michigan.gov/ORVInfo. Find updated maps and other information at Michigan.gov/ForestRoads.

Questions? Email DNR-RoadInventoryProject@Michigan.gov. Send media inquiries to Jason Caron at 906-235-4361 or Matt Foster at 989-619-5921.

What does that new regulation mean? How are walleye populations thriving? What's the catch limit on my favorite stream?

If you're into Michigan fishing, sometimes you just want to talk with someone in the know! Good news: you still have the chance to join in one of several upcoming "Conversations & Coffee" virtual meetings:

• March 29, 6:30-8 p.m., Lake Superior Management Unit.
• April 4, 6-7 p.m., Lake Huron Management Unit.
• April 4, 7-8 p.m., Lake Erie Management Unit.
• April 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Southern Lake Michigan Management Unit.

The meetings are a great opportunity to talk with DNR fisheries staff about local and statewide fisheries management activities, meet with managers and biologists, ask specific questions, and maybe even get some insider fishing tips.

Get individual meeting registration and passcode details. Questions? Contact Sierra Williams at WilliamsS100@Michigan.gov.