In 2011, commercial and sport fishers harvested over 5.2 million pounds of Lake Michigan whitefish. In 2023, anglers brought in just 2.3 million pounds, representing the largest drop since the 1980s.

In 1985, roughly 7.8 million pounds of lake whitefish were harvested in Lake Michigan. In 2005, about 4.2 million pounds were harvested. And in 2024, just over 2.3 million pounds were harvested.

Great Lakes Fishery Commission records show whitefish harvests in Lake Michigan were 8.3 million pounds in 1993 and stayed above 7 million through 1998. In 2020, the Lake Michigan whitefish ...

The port town of St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula is a mecca for this coastal tradition—properly smoked whitefish and lake trout is a point of pride here, as fundamental as fishing and fire.

Serafin Fish Company receives first commercial whitefish license for southern Lake Huron in years. The license follows extensive research confirming the sustainability of a Harbor Beach fishery.

Lake whitefish, a prized species, have declined by as much as 80 percent in some areas since the late 1990s, a drop scientists suspect could be from quagga mussels. Another invader appears to help ...

Their most popular items include smoked whitefish and trout ($12.50 to $14 a pound, depending on variety), whitefish pâté ($10 a half pound) and fresh fillets (starting at about $14 for ...

Lake whitefish make up 89% of fish caught in the Great Lakes among Michigan-licensed anglers and 95% of sales for all Great Lakes fish, according to Michigan Sea Grant’s 2020 Status of Michigan ...