Fisheries Articles

Articles containing information about Fisheries.

Restoration of historic dock completed at Little Sand Bay

Restoration of historic dock completed at Little Sand Bay

The fabled gales of November couldn't stop reconstruction of the historic Hokenson Brothers Fishery dock at Little Sand Bay in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Battered by storms for decades, the dock and related buildings are listed on the State and National Registers of Historic Places and are the focus of a $1.4 million preservation and restoration effort by the National Park Service.This summer, construction crews from Pearl Beach Construction Company of Michigan used heavy equipment and a barge to rebuild the dock as historically accurately as possible, using wooden pilings and...

Advanced technology science mission to study Lake Superior fish launches in Ashland

Advanced technology science mission to study Lake Superior fish launches in Ashland

Blue skies and a stiff breeze marked the launch ceremony for an advanced technology mission designed to improve the accuracy of fish population measurement in the Apostle Islands and beyond. That breeze will be important, as the wind is what will power two uncrewed sailboat-like drones as they sail predetermined patterns across Lake Superior with solar-powered hydroacoustic equipment and nearly two dozen other scientific instruments onboard. The US Geological Survey (USGS) and and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission invited dignitaries and journalists to the launch event on the dock next to...

New mission details: unmanned research vessels Llaunch in Ashland on Tuesday

New mission details: unmanned research vessels Llaunch in Ashland on Tuesday

Two bright orange, solar-powered sailing vessels will launch from Ashland this week on a mission to study the changing fish populations in the Apostle Islands and across Lake Superior. One goal is to better track the sustainability of lake trout populations, by gathering more precise data about the prey fish the trout eat.Saildrones being assembled at the Great Lakes Science Center Ashland Biological Station dock – Dave Olson photoThe US Geological Survey (USGS) says the month-long fisheries science mission will involve two uncrewed saildrones from Saildrone, Inc., and two two long-range...

Unmanned Sailing Vessels to Study Fish Populations in the Apostle Islands

Unmanned Sailing Vessels to Study Fish Populations in the Apostle Islands

They might be the strangest looking sailboats that you’ve ever seen navigating the Apostles, but later this month, two bright orange saildrones, with no sailors onboard, will be traversing Lake Superior, collecting data about fish populations. Two 23-foot-long Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) are scheduled to launch from Ashland on August 8th, as part of a research project by the US Geological Survey (USGS). These scientific sailboats operate on wind power and solar power. They will use acoustic, or sound technology to gather fish distribution and density data around-the-clock, near Madeline...

Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands

Past, present and future of fisheries management in the Apostle Islands

Fish are an important part of the local culture and fisheries management has faced many challenges over the past 50+ years. Declines in fisheries due to invasive species and over-harvest began in the 1950’s and by the formation of the Apostle Island National Lakeshore in 1970 the fish populations were at historic lows. Fisheries management successfully focused on Lake Trout restoration goals thorough cooperative management of all users in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior. Current management is focused on monitoring and setting safe harvest limits for fisheries through fisheries management...

A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL

A Retrospective – Research and Resource Management at Apostle Islands NL

The Apostle Islands are a homeland, a place of adventure, solace and beauty, afascinating natural laboratory, habitat for diverse plant and animal communities, a refuge for those that are rare, and a place of national significance. Over time there have been many who have worked tirelessly and passionately to learn, understand, and uncover secrets of this “special collection of islands.” During this presentation, I will provide an overview of the history of natural resource management and research at the national lakeshore over the past 5 decades – highlighting changing issues and needs; the...

“Friends” groups are a collective force for water and land protection

“Friends” groups are a collective force for water and land protection

Your Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore participated in Wisconsin Water Week, a weeklong celebration and study of all things water in our state. This virtual event highlighted innovative ways that groups devoted to protecting the state's most important resource are advancing their work in the face of unprecedented challenges. Erica Peterson Friends of the Apostle Islands Board Chair Erica Peterson was an invited guest on a panel discussing the importance of “Friends” groups in the Wisconsin Lake Superior region. Peterson joined Mike Koutnik from the Lake Superior Reserve in...

Lakeshore Logbook – Larry Johnson

Lakeshore Logbook – Larry Johnson

As part of our 50th Anniversary celebration, we are collecting and sharing the stories of people connected to the islands, whether they are park guests, former residents or former park employees. This is the second in our series called “Lakeshore Logbook,” a collection of memories provided by former National Park Service employees. Living and working in the park on a day to day basis, they’ve experienced a lot to be sure. We hope you enjoy their perspectives. After 37 years with the National Park Service, Larry Johnson retired as the Superintendent of Ozark National Scenic Riverways in...

Where in the park is Neil? The week 18 answer is South Twin Island

Where in the park is Neil? The week 18 answer is South Twin Island

As part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, we’re going on a virtual tour with Neil Howk, a man who has spent decades exploring the islands and teaching people about what makes them special. He knows the islands like the back of his hand. Beaches tend to be some of the most heavily used areas in the Apostle Islands.  The fragile vegetation on these sandscapes cannot survive frequent trampling. Today Neil is taking a close look at efforts to help revegetate the sandscape on this island. At the eighteenth stop on our digital tour, Neil is on...

Where in the park is Neil? The week 12 answer is Manitou Island

Where in the park is Neil? The week 12 answer is Manitou Island

As part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, we’re going on a virtual tour with Neil Howk, a man who has spent decades exploring the islands and teaching people about what makes them special. He knows the islands like the back of his hand. At the twelfth stop on our digital tour, Neil is on Manitou Island, at 46.9640° N, 90.6594° W. This island is near the center of the archipelago. Beginning in the late 1800s, commercial fishermen built fishing camps on most of the Apostle Islands so they could live closer to locations where they set their...