Spring brings fish stocking, regulation changes

By EDITH ZHOU
Capital News Service
LANSING – This year’s fishing season is starting on the wheels of stocking trucks, new regulations and programs to attract more participants. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said its $9 million program is stocking 19 million fish – 370 tons – including eight trout and salmon species and four cool-water species, including walleye and muskellunge. This year, DNR’s fish-stocking vehicles will travel nearly 138,000 miles to more than 700 spots around the state. Christian LeSage, a biologist at DNR’s Fisheries Division, said that overall, locations and species don’t change much from year to year. However, some locations are not always stocked, and new places are added.