Mich. Comp. Laws § 324.47311 — MI Code / Chapter 324 / Act Act-451-of-1994 / Section 324.47311
Closed seasons; setting of nets or hooks; disposition of fish taken during closed season; revocation of license; chilling fish.
Status: in_force

Sec. 47311.

(1) A person shall not take from any of the waters listed in section 47301 any of the following:

(a) Lake trout, in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan from October 1 to December 10; in Lake Superior from October 5 to November 4.

(b) Whitefish, in Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior from November 1 to November 30.

(c) Pike-perch (yellow pickerel), northern pike, from April 1 to May 20. In Saginaw Bay, as defined in section 47339, a person shall not take pike-perch from March 5 to April 10. A person may spear pike-perch through the ice during the closed season in Lake Huron and the connecting waters of the Great Lakes for noncommercial use only.

(d) Perch, from April 15 to May 20. In the waters of Lake Michigan only, a person may take perch from April 25 to June 1. In Saginaw Bay, perch of legal size may be taken at any time. A person may take perch with hook and line at any time.

(e) White bass, in Lake Michigan at any time of the year. A person may take white bass with hook and line at any time.

(f) Suckers, from April 15 to May 20. In Saginaw Bay, suckers may be taken at any time. A person may take suckers with hook and line at any time.

(g) Black crappie, also known as calico bass, in Lake Huron from June 1 to August 25. In Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, and Lake Superior, black crappie may not be taken at any time.

(2) In the waters of Green Bay of Lake Michigan within the jurisdiction of this state, which for the purpose of this part are those waters lying inside a line drawn from the most southerly part of Point Detour to the most easterly points of Sumner and Poverty Islands, thence due south to the Michigan-Wisconsin boundary line, thence along the boundary line to the shore, a person shall not from April 15 to May 20 set, place, or use any gill net having meshes less than 4-1/2 inches. The department may issue permits under such rules and regulations as prescribed by the department to allow the use of gill nets having meshes not less than 2-1/4 inches or more than 2-3/4 inches for taking herring from the waters of Green Bay from April 15 to May 20, if the nets will not interfere with or take any other species of fish. The closed seasons established by this section do not apply to Lake Erie and the lower Detroit River, where nets shall not be set and fish of any kind shall not be taken with nets from January 1 to March 10. A person may take carp with seines at any time from these waters.

(3) In every case, the season shall open and close at 12 noon on the dates named in this section.

(4) All live fish on which the season is closed shall be liberated and returned to the water with as little injury as possible, and any sound, dead fish, on which the season is closed, shall be dressed, brought ashore, and delivered immediately to the department at the department's fishing port, which fish shall be disposed of in the same manner as provided for the disposition of undersized fish in section 47309.

(5) A person shall not set nets or hooks for the taking of lake trout or whitefish before the first day of the open season for taking the fish, and the license of any person shall be immediately revoked upon conviction of unlawfully setting nets before the first day of the open season as provided in this part, and revocation shall prohibit the use of boat and gear by that person during the balance of the year for which a license was issued. A person engaged in the taking of fish for commercial purposes from May 15 to September 15 under this part shall carry sufficient ice and properly chill the fish at the time and place of their removal from the waters.

History: Add. 1995, Act 57, Imd. Eff. May 24, 1995; Am. 2022, Act 34, Imd. Eff. Mar. 15, 2022