As the Lake Superior fishing season opens, anglers are being asked to keep an eye out for marked splake.
Splake are a hybrid cross between lake trout and brook trout. They have been stocked in Lake Superior by the Department of Natural Resources since 1971, particularly in Copper Harbor, Keweenaw Bay and Munising Bay.
DNR officials are monitoring the program, trying to learn about the home range of the splake, along with harvest rates, and sizes of harvested fish.
When anglers catch a splake, they should inspect it for missing fins or a jawbone clip, which indicate it has been marked. Marked fish then can be reported at Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField, or by contacting a local DNR office.
Officials expect to continue marking young splake through 2025, and will continue the study through 2030, as the splake mature and are caught.