Current fishing regulations for yellow perch in Lake Michigan and for all species in the Sylvania Wilderness Area in the Ottawa National Forest in Gogebic County will remain in place for the 2006 fishing season. Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries signed the fisheries orders at the recent Natural Resources Commission meeting in Houghton.

Under the order for yellow perch in Lake Michigan, the current possession limit of 35 fish will remain in place. “Although perch populations have experienced a decline in the past decade, current evidence shows that perch populations may be improving and there is no scientific justification to change the possession limit at this time,” Humphries said.

The Sylvania Wilderness Area, a popular destination for outdoors enthusiasts, has restrictive regulations that have aided in providing a quality fishery throughout the area, Humphries said. The order she signed extends those regulations, which include the following:
 

The order lists the special provision lakes of Sylvania as: Banks, East Bear, West Bear, Clark, Corey, Cub, Deer Island, Dorothy, Elsie, Fisher, Florence, Germain, Glimmerglass, Golden Silence, Hay, Helen, High, Honey, Katherine, Kerr, Jay, Johnston Springs, Liluis, Lois, Loon, Louise, Marsh, Moss, Mountain, Snap Jack, Trapper and Whitefish.

For more information on current fishing regulations, visit the DNR Web site and check under the Fishing section.