Fall 2023 Workshop

In-person and virtual workshops will be held in early November. Check back soon for full details. Request to join the email list to receive workshop updates by contacting Peter Euclide. 

General Info

Since 2017, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) has hosted annual fisheries workshops in the spring and fall to highlight new and ongoing research related to fisheries and fishing on Lake Michigan. Workshops are held in the evening, with options for in-person at venues convenient for anglers in Illinois and Indiana as well as virtually. We encourage anglers of all experience levels, ages, and backgrounds to join us as we discuss topics such as how yellow perch use wetlands to forage, how the DNR decides how many fish to stock, and what contaminants to consider when preparing your catch for dinner.  

Workshops are designed to keep anglers informed of current and emerging issues, while encouraging collaboration among participants to address these issues or identify new research opportunities.

IISG also hosts booths at boat, fishing, and outdoor shows around southern Lake Michigan, so stop by to say hi! For more information about upcoming fisheries workshops and events, email Peter Euclide.

Previous Workshops

The latest workshop was held in Wilmette, Illinois in April 2023 and featured research on yellow perch and a complete fishery update by the Illinois DNR.

Dr. Katie O’Reilly, aquatic ecologist and Aquatic Invasive Species Specialist with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Illinois Natural History Survey, talked about the importance of wetland habitat for yellow perch feeding and growth in Lake Michigan. Katie discussed how stable isotopes are used to estimate the contribution of near-shore and wetland habitats to yellow perch growth at different stages in their development.

Vic Santucci, Lake Michigan Program Director for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, provided an update about all the hard work and research that the DNR and Illinois Natural History Survey has been doing in southern Lake Michigan. Highlights included bass population surveys in Illinois harbors, fast growth rates for coho, chinook, and yellow perch, and high natural recruitment of lake trout.

 

Past & Current Workshop Partners: Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Natural History Survey, United States Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program, Ball State University, Purdue University, University of Illinois, Hammond Marina, North Point Marina, Chicago Maritime Museum, City of Michigan City, Chicago Sun Times, Wilmette Harbor Club, Loyola University