Wisconsin cuts Apostle Islands lake trout harvest 15% as sea lamprey toll climbs

Wisconsin's Natural Resources Board has approved a 15% reduction in the lake trout harvest for the Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior, the waters between Bark Point and Saxon Harbor. Wisconsin Public Radio reported the decision Oct. 29. The 2027 total is 57,000 lake trout, with 39,500 allocated to Red Cliff and Bad River tribal fishers and 17,500 split between state commercial and sport anglers. The state's share is down 22%.

DNR modeling cited by Lake Superior fisheries supervisor Brad Ray shows the estimated population falling about 37%, from roughly 835,000 fish in 2020 to about 530,000 in 2025. Ray said few young fish are recruiting into the fishery and that mortality has nearly tripled in four years, which he linked to higher sea lamprey numbers after treatments were missed during the pandemic. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission estimates Lake Superior lamprey fell from more than 40,000 to just under 30,000 this year, still well above its goal of about 10,000.

The western zone from Bark Point to Superior, where lamprey numbers are lower, keeps its 14,000-fish quota. The 2027 season begins Nov. 28.

Photo: A lake trout reared at Iron River National Fish Hatchery. Credit: USFWS Midwest (CC BY-NC-SA), via WPR.

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

Source: Wisconsin Public Radio: Lake trout harvest in Lake Superior scaled back as invasive species causes population decline (Oct. 29, 2026).