Peninsula Salmon Run

 

History of Strawberry Creek Fishery

The WDNR Chinook salmon program began in the spring of 1969 when approximately 65,000

fingerlings were stocked in Strawberry Creek to boost the predator fish population and control an exploding invasive alewife population. Strawberry Creek was the first stocking and egg collection site for Chinook in Wisconsin and continues to be Wisconsin’s primary source of Chinook salmon eggs for Lake Michigan.  Following years have seen an average of 200,000 fingerlings released at this Door County site. A fish trap or weir was constructed on Strawberry Creek and Chinook eggs have been collected from sexually mature fish that returned to the creek since the fall of 1972

Strawberry Creek

What Wisconsin Fisheries Does

Beginning in late September, during the peak of the eight week salmon spawning run, DNR staff collect eggs two times per week.   The Chinook return to Strawberry Creek from Lake Michigan to spawn. They are crowded to one end of the collection pond where they fill a framed net and are hoisted into a tank to be anesthetized with carbon dioxide. The fish are then weighed, measured, sexed, and checked for fin clips. Eggs are collected from females that are ready to spawn. The eggs and milt (sperm) are mixed together; when water is added, fertilization occurs.  The eggs are then rinsed and placed in containers to be transported to the hatcheries.

Preparing for Data-Gathering and Processing

Extracting Eggs

 

 

Why Does Wisconsin Do This?

In the late 1940’s, an invasive fish known as an alewife gained access to the waters of Lake Michigan through the Welland Canal. By 1967, it was estimated that up to 85% of all Lake Michigan fish were alewives. Fish biologists selected Pacific salmon as a possible predator. In 1966 coho salmon were stocked in Lake Michigan followed by Chinook salmon. Due to stocking of these fish, alewife numbers have been significantly reduced from their record levels.*

Rinsing Fertilized Eggs

 

Fertilized Eggs Hardening-off

 Nothing is Wasted

Native to the Pacific Northwest the normal life cycle of Chinook salmon triggers their spawning urge when they reach sexual maturity.  They return to the stream location where they were born - in this case artificially imprinted-upon - to spawn and perpetuate the species.  After a single spawning run they die.

At Strawberry Creek nothing is wasted.  Healthy fish are distributed to needful families through the food pantry network.  Other fish are distributed to raptor rehabilitation operations throughout the state. Bait companies purchase eggs that cannot be fertilized to produce preserved bait for use by anglers.  And another local company purchases the remaining fish to produce a specialty liquid fertilizer derived from fish.

Fish Going to a Raptor Rehab Center in Antigo

Eggs Purchased by a Commercial Bait Company

In the end invasive predators are managed and a billion dollar a year sport fishery is supported.

Learn more here: 

 

*Source: Wisconsin DNR