Jury finds Macomb County man guilty of fishing on revoked license

Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 03/23/2026 01:22 PM EDT

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March 23, 2026
Contact: Lt. Todd Szyska, 313-396-6890

Jury finds Macomb County man guilty of fishing on revoked license

Lake St. Clair ice fishing

A Macomb County man with a history of Michigan Department of Natural Resources violations will spend 30-180 days in jail after being found guilty of two license violations.

Derek Dermyer, 37, of Washington Township, was sentenced March 10 in St. Clair County’s 72nd District Court for fishing without a license and fishing while licenses were revoked.

The penalty was increased to a habitual offender, due to Dermyer’s previous DNR violations within the past five years, which include:

  • Possessing an overlimit of perch.
  • Taking deer without a license.
  • Failure to possess an unused kill tag while deer hunting.
  • Possessing/transporting deer without an attached/validated kill tag.
  • Failure to attach a validated (deer) kill tag.

“Habitual offenders are not only stealing resources, but they also create a bad name for the law-abiding majority of hunters and anglers,” said Chief Brandon Kieft, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “The DNR appreciates the support from the St. Clair County court system in recognizing Mr. Dermyer’s repeated history of DNR offenses.”

In December, a Michigan DNR conservation officer contacted Dermyer while he was ice fishing on Lake St. Clair. Dermyer was unable to present a valid fishing license due to his fishing (and hunting) license being revoked until Jan. 1.

Dermyer received two citations — fishing without a license and fishing while ineligible for licenses — which were submitted to the St. Clair County prosecutor.

The DNR offered a plea deal to drop one of the charges, which Dermyer declined. He advanced to court in February, where a jury found him guilty of both charges.

Dermyer’s sentence included the following additional penalties:

  • $2,980 in court costs and fines.
  • $20 reimbursement to the State of Michigan for conservation fees.
  • Revoked fishing license for an additional seven years.

Michigan’s new fishing license and regulation season begins Wednesday, April 1. The 2026 fishing licenses are available for purchase now and are valid through March 31, 2027. Get more information about licenses, regulations, locations to fish and more at Michigan.gov/Fishing.

Michigan DNR conservation officers are fully licensed law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety, and protect residents through general law enforcement and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

Note to editors: An accompanying photo is available below for download. Caption information follows.

Ice fishing: After being caught illegally ice fishing on Lake St. Clair in December, Derek Dermyer, 37, of Washington Township, was sentenced March 10 in St. Clair County’s 72nd District Court for fishing without a license and fishing while licenses were revoked. Dermyer has a collection of prior DNR violations and was sentenced as a habitual offender. Lake St. Clair is a body of water between southeast Michigan and Canada that offers excellent year-round fishing opportunities.
 

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to Michigan.gov/DNR.