Michigan DNR asks the NRC to drop the Otsego Lake pike-marsh spawning closure

One northern Michigan spawning closure is up for removal, and it is not approved yet. A Michigan Department of Natural Resources memorandum submitted Aug. 17, 2026, and marked “for information only,” recommends a single change to Fisheries Order 204.26: drop the Otsego Lake pike marsh in Otsego County, which closes fishing from March 16 through June 15.

Fisheries Division says the pike marsh has not been operational since the early 2000s. Taking the closure off would open that water to anglers and shorten the rule. Local anglers and local conservation officers support the change, the memo says. Staff want it to take effect immediately so people do not have to wait for a new fishing season. The department calls it a social and opportunity change, not a biological one, and says it does not expect a significant budget impact.

The order was on the Natural Resources Commission agenda for information on Sept. 9. The memo says it is eligible for approval on Oct. 14, 2026. The draft order text is written to take effect Oct. 15 if the commission approves it that day. Until that vote, the March 16–June 15 closure on the pike marsh is still the printed rule. The rest of the spawning-closure list in the draft, including the West Branch Ontonagon and the Platte and Betsie weirs, stays in the order.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Michigan DNR — Fisheries Order 204.26, Spawning Closures, for information only (submitted Aug. 17, 2026; eligible for approval Oct. 14, 2026).