Fish across Michigan are getting smaller, and researchers think t

The University of Michigan recently released a study about the size of fish in Michigan's inland lakes as being smaller than they were 75 years ago.

Michigan is a Great State for Fishing

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People have been fishing in Michigan long before it was even called a state. The Mitten State is one of the country's best with the Great Lakes and the plethora of inland lakes, rivers, and streams.

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Nearly every species of freshwater fish are found in Michigan's lakes, rivers and streams.

When there were fewer people fishing Michigan's waters, it's obvious that many catches were bigger because of the lack of competition. Now that the fishing industry has gotten its hands on the Great Lakes, tourism for the state has grown, and population growth with residents, it would make sense with more competition for fish, the ones being caught by anglers may not be as big as they used to be. There may be another cause of fish shrinking in Michigan's inland lakes

Are Michigan’s Fish Shrinking As Waters Warm?

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According to researchers at the University of Michigan, climate change appears to be changing the size of fish in Michigan's inland lakes. U of M used data from the last 75 years on nearly 1,500 lakes and researchers determined that several species young and old in 2020 were much smaller than their normal size in 1945.

Researchers were able to study 13 different species and their respective age groups, out of a 125 species-age class combinations, 58 had changed size. Of the 58, 46 were smaller.

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Scientists have determined that the warming of the inland lakes has led to several species becoming smaller over time and will continue to decrease as the planet continues to get warmer.

If you are a bass fisherman, you have nothing to worry about since largemouth and smallmouth get bigger in warmer temperatures. The rest of the fish species in Michigan is going in the other direction.

👇BELOW: Michigan Fishing: 1900-1943👇