A Checklist Are Specially Adapted to Finding Food Don’T Expect to See Fish Swimming Deep Below in Low-Light Environments
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HABITATS OF THE LOWER GRAND RIVER FISHES OF THE LOWER GRAND RIVER The warm, muddy water of the Grand River is home to more than 100 species FISH WATCHING of fish. Some are large river fish that A CHECKLIST are specially adapted to finding food Don’t expect to see fish swimming deep below in low-light environments. Many others the turbid water of the Grand, but late summer is use the Grand as a connecting highway a good time to see gar gulping air at the surface. between their preferred habitats. Schools of young shad also create disturbances on the surface. When the water is calm in backwaters and at the mouth of the river, you can observe a variety of sucker species, carp, drum and bass feeding over rocks or shallow flats. Backwaters include a drowned river mouth lake (Spring Lake), numerous bayous and COllECTING FISH man-made gravel pits. Some are dominated Angling with hook and line is the best way to by rich plankton blooms and others offer catch most species. Even minnows and darters abundant rooted vegetation. will strike a tiny fly or hook baited with a piece of worm. Nets and minnow traps are also legal gear Many small creeks flow to theGrand River. for certain species in some environments (check Some suffer from excessive sediment and the Michigan Fishing Guide for regulations). nutrients, which creates poor water quality Seines are a good choice for snag-free flats and that can limit fish diversity. However, others cast nets are effective on open water species in like the upper reaches of Crockery Creek Lake Michigan waters. still support fish that require clean, cold, flowing water — including brook trout. The cold, clear water of Lake Michigan provides a home for many species that occasionally enter the Grand River. River www.miseagrant.umich.edu/news/sw species also move into Lake Michigan in SPRING late summer to find cooler temperatures. Michigan Sea Grant helps to foster economic growth and protect Michigan’s LAKE coastal, Great Lakes resources through research, education and outreach. Diadromous fish species, such as Lake MICHU-13-708 Sturgeon, spend much of their adult life Hanshue, S. K., and A. H. Harrington. 2011. Draft Grand River Assessment. Michigan in Lake Michigan before returning to the Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Division, Special Report, Ann Arbor. Bailey, R. M., W. C. Latta, and G. R. Smith. 2004. An atlas of Michigan fishes with keys Grand River and tributary streams to spawn. and illustrations for their identification. Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Miscellaneous Publications No. 192. Ann Arbor. LOWER GRAND RIVER Look for these fish species found in waters of the Grand River and connected waters including Spring Lake, other backwaters, tributaries and Lake Michigan. FISHES CHECKLIST See outer panel for explanation of preferred habitats. LampreyLamprey familyLamprey family (Petromyzontidae) family (Petromyzontidae) (Petromyzontidae) SuckerSucker familySucker family (Catostomidae) family (Catostomidae) (Catostomidae) PiratePirate perchPirate perch family perch family (Aphredoderidae) family (Aphredoderidae) (Aphredoderidae) chestnut chestnut chestnut lamprey lamprey lamprey Grand Grand RiverGrand River River quillbackquillbackquillback Grand Grand RiverGrand River River S pirate S pirate S perchpirate perch perch CreeksCreeksCreeks Lamprey familyAm. (Petromyzontidae)Am. brook Am. brook brook lamprey lamprey lamprey CreeksCreeksCreeks Sucker family (Catostomidae)longnose longnose longnose sucker sucker sucker DiadromousDiadromousDiadromousPirate perchCod family familyCod (Aphredoderidae) Codfamily (Gadidae) family (Gadidae) (Gadidae) chestnut lamprey Grand River quillback Grand River S pirate perch Creeks I sea I sea lampreyI sea lamprey lamprey DiadromousDiadromousDiadromous white white suckerwhite sucker sucker DiadromousDiadromousDiadromous burbotburbotburbot Lake Lake MichiganLake Michigan Michigan Am. brook lamprey Creeks longnose sucker Diadromous Cod family (Gadidae) SturgeonSturgeon Sturgeonfamily family (Acipenseridae) family (Acipenseridae) (Acipenseridae) lake lake chubsuckerlake chubsucker chubsucker Grand Grand RiverGrand River River KillifishKillifish familyKillifish family (Fundulidae) family (Fundulidae) (Fundulidae) I sea lamprey Diadromous white sucker Diadromous burbot Lake Michigan T lake T lake T sturgeonlake sturgeon sturgeon DiadromousDiadromousDiadromous northern northern northern hog hog sucker hog sucker sucker CreeksCreeksCreeks w. w. banded w. banded killifish banded killifish killifish BackwatersBackwatersBackwaters Sturgeon family (Acipenseridae) lake chubsucker Grand River Killifish family (Fundulidae) Gar familyGar familyGar (Lepisosteidae) family (Lepisosteidae) (Lepisosteidae) S black S black S buffaloblack buffalo buffalo Grand Grand RiverGrand River River SilversideSilversideSilverside family family (Atherinopsidae) family (Atherinopsidae) (Atherinopsidae) T lake sturgeon Diadromous northern hog sucker Creeks w. banded killifish Backwaters SC spotted SC spotted SC spotted gar gar gar BackwatersBackwatersBackwaters S spotted S spotted S spotted sucker sucker sucker All All All brook brook silversidebrook silverside silverside BackwatersBackwatersBackwaters Gar family (Lepisosteidae) S black buffalo Grand River Silverside family (Atherinopsidae) longnose longnose longnose gar gar gar Grand Grand RiverGrand River River silver silver redhorsesilver redhorse redhorse Grand Grand RiverGrand River River SticklebackSticklebackStickleback family family (Gasterosteidae) family (Gasterosteidae) (Gasterosteidae) SC spotted gar Backwaters S spotted sucker All brook silverside Backwaters BowfinBowfin familyBowfin family (Amiidae) family (Amiidae) (Amiidae) T river T river T redhorseriver redhorse redhorse Grand Grand RiverGrand River River brook brook sticklebackbrook stickleback stickleback CreeksCreeksCreeks longnose gar Grand River silver redhorse Grand River Stickleback family (Gasterosteidae) bowfin bowfin bowfin (dogfish) (dogfish) (dogfish) BackwatersBackwatersBackwaters S golden S golden S golden redhorse redhorse redhorse Grand Grand RiverGrand River River I threespine I threespine I threespine stickleback stickleback sticklebackLake Lake MichiganLake Michigan Michigan Bowfin family (Amiidae) T river redhorse Grand River brook stickleback Creeks Eelbowfin familyEel family (dogfish)Eel (Anguillidae) family (Anguillidae) (Anguillidae)Backwaters S golden shorthead redhorseshorthead shorthead redhorse redhorse redhorseGrand RiverGrand Grand RiverGrand River River I threespine ninespine sticklebackninespine ninespine stickleback sticklebackLake stickleback MichiganLake Lake MichiganLake Michigan Michigan Eel familyI (Anguillidae)American I American I American eel eel eel DiadromousDiadromousDiadromous shorthead greater redhorsegreater greater redhorse redhorse redhorseGrand RiverGrand Grand RiverGrand River River ninespine SculpinSculpin stickleback familySculpin family (Cottidae) family (Cottidae) (Cottidae)Lake Michigan I HerringAmerican Herring familyHerring eelfamily (Clupeidae) family (Clupeidae) (Clupeidae)Diadromous greater CatfishCatfish family redhorseCatfish family (Ictaluridae) family (Ictaluridae) (Ictaluridae)Grand River Sculpin family (Cottidae)mottled mottled mottled sculpin sculpin sculpin CreeksCreeksCreeks Herring IfamilyalewifeI (Clupeidae)alewifeI alewife Lake Lake MichiganLake Michigan Michigan Catfish family (Ictaluridae)black black bullheadblack bullhead bullhead BackwatersBackwatersBackwaters mottled sculpinslimy slimy sculpinslimy sculpin sculpin Creeks Lake Lake MichiganLake Michigan Michigan I alewifeI gizzard I gizzard I gizzard shad shad shad Lake MichiganGrand Grand RiverGrand River River black yellow bullheadyellow yellow bullhead bullhead bullheadBackwatersBackwatersBackwatersBackwaters slimy Temperate sculpinTemperateTemperate bass bassfamily bass family (Moronidae)Lake family (Moronidae) (Moronidae) Michigan I Minnowgizzard Minnow family Minnow shad family (Cyprinidae) family (Cyprinidae) (Cyprinidae)Grand River yellow S brown S bullheadbrown S brown bullhead bullhead bullheadBackwatersBackwatersBackwatersBackwaters Temperate bassI white familyI white I(Moronidae) perchwhite perch perch BackwatersBackwatersBackwaters Minnow familycentral (Cyprinidae)central central stoneroller stoneroller stoneroller CreeksCreeksCreeks S brown channel bullheadchannel channel catfish catfish catfishBackwatersGrand Grand RiverGrand River River I white perchwhite white basswhite bass bass BackwatersBackwatersBackwatersBackwaters central I goldfishI stonerollergoldfishI goldfish CreeksBackwatersBackwatersBackwaters channel S tadpole S catfishtadpole S tadpole madtom madtom madtomGrand RiverCreeksCreeksCreeks white Sunfish bassSunfish familySunfish family (Centrarchidae) family (Centrarchidae) (Centrarchidae)Backwaters I goldfishspotfin spotfin spotfin shiner shiner shiner BackwatersGrand Grand RiverGrand River River S tadpole flathead madtomflathead flathead catfish catfish catfish CreeksGrand Grand RiverGrand River River Sunfish family (Centrarchidae)rock rock bassrock bass bass All All All spotfin I common I shinercommon I common carp carp carp Grand RiverAll All All flathead Pike familyPike catfish Pikefamily (Esocidae) family (Esocidae) (Esocidae)Grand River rock bass green green sunfishgreen sunfish sunfish All BackwatersBackwatersBackwaters I common S brassy S brassy S carp brassy minnow minnow minnow All CreeksCreeksCreeks Pike familyS (Esocidae)grass S grass S pickerelgrass pickerel pickerel CreeksCreeksCreeks green