Get ready to go fishing!

Trout and other seasons open Saturday

It’s time to dust off your fishing gear and get ready to put that new fishing license to good use: trout and the Lower Peninsula inland walleye and northern pike seasons open Saturday, April 26.

Make plans with your fishing buddies or bring someone new this year to share in the fun!

Anglers should note that in Upper Peninsula waters, the walleye and northern pike possession seasons open Thursday, May 15. Michigan’s muskellunge possession season on all Great Lakes, inland waters, the St. Marys River, Lake St. Clair, and the St. Clair and Detroit rivers opens Saturday, June 7 (catch-and-immediate-release fishing for muskellunge is open all year). And don’t forget the catch-and-immediate-release season for largemouth and smallmouth bass is open all year on nearly all waters, unless otherwise closed to fishing. Check the current Michigan Fishing Regulations summary for specifics. The possession season for bass opens statewide Saturday, May 24 — except for on Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and the Detroit River, which open Saturday, June 21. Storm damage Anglers should be aware of potential road and waterway obstructions, including downed trees and branches, due to recent ice storm damage in Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle counties. Find up-to-date information about closures and conditions on the DNR storm recovery page.

Protect our waters Michigan’s trout streams are under increasing threat from harmful species that affect habitat and food sources for trout and other fish. Both didymo (rock snot) and New Zealand mudsnail can be moved to new locations on waders, nets and gear. To protect Michigan waters, be prepared and take the time to decontaminate before moving to a new river or stream. Learn about more actions anglers and boaters can take to prevent the spread of invasive species. Fishing licenses The new license season began April 1, so anglers should make sure they purchase a new fishing license for this fishing season. The 2025 annual fishing licenses are valid through March 31, 2026. If you need any assistance with your fishing license, contact DNR licensing staff at MDNR-E-License@Michigan.gov or call 517-284-6057. The 2025 Michigan Fishing Regulations and Inland Trout and Salmon Maps are available online at Michigan.gov/Fishing, along with other helpful fishing information. Buy your license online or download the Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app to purchase your licenses, report harvests, access regulations, and get the latest hunting and fishing updates.

Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows. Credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.

Angler: An angler catches a brook trout on an inland lake in Luce County.

Stream: An angler fishes for brook trout on a Marquette County stream.

Northern Michigan pathways named Pure Michigan Trails

By HEATHER JOHNSON DUROCHER
Trails and resources writer and editor
Parks and Recreation Division
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Two trails in the northern Lower Peninsula are recipients of the 2025 Pure Michigan Trail designation, an annual recognition that spotlights some of the state’s best trail experiences.

The Betsie Valley Trail, a 22-mile pathway extending from Frankfort through Elberta and Beulah to Thompsonville in Benzie County, and Chain of Lakes Water Trail, a 100-plus mile inland water trail made up of 12 lakes and interconnected rivers in northwest Michigan, are this year’s Pure Michigan Trail recipients.

The announcement was made during this week’s Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

“The Betsie Valley Trail and Chain of Lakes Water Trail offer exceptional hiking, biking and paddling experiences while also connecting residents and visitors to local communities and businesses,” said Kelly Wolgamott, vice president of Pure Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Pure Michigan Trails represent the best of Michigan’s trail opportunities, and these extraordinary resources exemplify that designation.”

The Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Town Designation Program is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Pure Michigan and is designed to help boost the state’s position as the “Trails State.” “The Pure Michigan Trail program recognizes Michigan pathways that provide a quality trail experience, whether these trail users are hiking, biking, riding or paddling,” said DNR State Trails Coordinator Tim Novak. “The organizations and dedicated individuals helping maintain these high-quality trails have worked hard to support and advocate for trails and trails users while providing safe, accessible recreational experiences year-round.”

Applicants apply for the designation, with an annual deadline of Jan. 15. Recipients must submit required documentation to the DNR, with recipients receiving recognition in the form of signage with branding placed in appropriate trail locations and inclusion in Pure Michigan trail maps and marketing material.

Some years, the program also designates Pure Michigan Trail Towns. This year, however, recipients include only two specific trails.

“This year’s Pure Michigan Trails have broad community support,” Novak said. “Their respective organizations understand and support the economic and social impacts of trails and how important they are to improving quality of life for residents and visitors. That is why we are proud to designate them as Pure Michigan recipients.”

Pure Michigan Trails promote healthy lifestyles, conserve natural resources and provide a catalyst for economic activity in local communities. Here’s more about this year’s recipients:

Betsie Valley Trail

The Betsie Valley Trail, a rails-to-trails pathway founded in 1992, features a scenic section of the former Ann Arbor Railroad originally running from Toledo to Frankfort-Elberta. Nearby natural areas include the Betsie River, wetlands with exceptional birding, the Pere Marquette State Forest, farm fields, Crystal Lake, turtle ponds, marshland, Lake Michigan beach and lighthouse, and more. “We were thrilled to hear the news of our Pure Michigan Trail designation! Our group has been dedicated to the development and maintenance of the Betsie Valley Trail since its inception and it’s energizing to learn that our work is being recognized,” said Jim Gribble of Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail. “We’ve seen a large increase in the use of the trail and with our efforts underway to pave the trail between Beulah and Thompsonville we are working to make it even more accessible to all. Thank you for this important recognition.”

Chain of Lakes Water Trail

The Chain of Lakes Water Trail is a collection of 12 interconnected lakes providing more than 100 miles of quality paddling experiences for all levels of paddlers in northern Michigan. Paddlers can travel through a variety of different places from small, quiet lakes to the iconic turquoise waters of Torch Lake, the second largest inland lake in Michigan. The water trail is connected to four communities to enjoy as part of the paddling experience. These include Central Lake, Bellaire, Ellsworth and Elk Rapids.

“Paddle Antrim is honored that the Chain of Lakes Water Trail — which we proudly host and steward in northern Michigan— has been recognized as the first Pure Michigan Water Trail,” said Deana Jerdee, executive director of Paddle Antrim. “This designation celebrates our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, accessible paddling experiences while protecting the health of our cherished waterways. We look forward to continuing our efforts to enhance access, stewardship and safety across the entire Chain of Lakes Water Trail and we invite you to come explore all it has to offer.”

Learn more about Michigan’s thousands of miles of trails, find maps and get details on the Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Towns Designation Program, including past trail and trail town recipients, at Michigan.gov/DNRTrails.

Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail.

Note to editors: Contact: John Pepin, Showcasing the DNR series editor, 906-226-1352. Accompanying photos and a text-only version of this story are available below for download. Caption information follows. Credit Michigan Department of Natural Resources, unless otherwise noted.

Text-only version of this story.

Betsie Valley Trail: The Betsie Valley Trail, a Benzie County rails-to-trails pathway founded in 1992, features a scenic section of the former Ann Arbor Railroad originally running from Toledo to Frankfort-Elberta. Photo credit: Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail.

Chain of Lakes Water Trail: The Chain of Lakes Water Trail is a collection of 12 interconnected lakes providing more than 100 miles of quality paddling experiences for all levels of paddlers in northern Michigan. Photo credit: Michigan Water Trails.

• Celebrate Arbor Day
• Tree planting and tree sales
• Events and opportunities
• Urban and community forestry
• Partner spotlights

See other news releases, Showcasing the DNR stories, photos and other resources at Michigan.gov/DNRPressRoom.

Tree-related photos are available in the DNR’s public image gallery.

Celebrate Arbor Day

Why we celebrate Arbor Day

Arbor Day is celebrated around the country annually to emphasize the importance of trees and how they protect our planet’s natural resources.

What are the benefits of trees?

1. Trees help clean our air by removing pollutants.
2. Trees contribute to reduced stress and good health by helping people feel closer to nature.
3. Trees provide us with oxygen.
4. Trees can help clean our drinking water by absorbing rainwater and filtering it to underground aquifers.
5. Trees lower the surface and air temperature by providing shade.
6. Trees help to reduce the effects of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide from the air.
7. Trees help save energy costs by shading homes and protecting them from winter winds and summer suns.
8. Trees benefit wildlife by providing habitats for a variety of animals.
9. Trees may help reduce minor crime, university research shows.
10. Trees increase property value.

Celebrate Arbor Day in your community

Check the DNR’s Arbor Day webpage to find how to plan your own Arbor Day events or events near you to attend. The Arbor Day Foundation also has a list of ways you can celebrate Arbor Day by yourself.

Michigan Arbor Day event map

Arbor Day is coming up April 25, and to celebrate, the DNR is compiling Arbor Day events all over the state on its interactive online map. Visit the site to add your organization or community’s public event, or see over 30 events across the state to celebrate Arbor Day.

Tree planting and tree sales

Michigan community tree selection list

Trees bring natural beauty and an array of environmental benefits to urban areas such as communities, schools, parks and backyards. For the best results from your planting, it’s important to choose the right tree. The DNR has a resource that showcases tree characteristics including size, location, hardiness and potential health concerns to help you pick the perfect tree for your space.

Tree maintenance resources

The United States Forest Service has created a Tree Owner’s Manual to help homeowners take better care of their trees. This manual has so much information to help with planting, pruning, maintenance and more!

Tree sales

Check with your local conservation district for tree sales happening near you.

Events and opportunities

Volunteer stewardship

Volunteer stewardship workdays engage volunteers through hands-on activity and education to help remove invasive plants threatening high-quality ecosystems in state parks across southern lower Michigan. Volunteers will learn plant identification, see rare ecosystems, connect with others and more. No experience is necessary, and equipment and instruction are provided. You can find a workday scheduled near you on the DNR volunteer events calendar.

Nature Awaits program

Nature Awaits is a new program for children in fourth grade classrooms to experience Michigan’s outdoors. All fourth grade classrooms are eligible for an experiential field trip to select state parks for free to support their classroom learning. Each environmental education experience will have a trained educator, focused on fourth grade curriculum standards, to lead the students through hands-on learning outdoors. This program aims to make sure Michigan’s kids learn that our state parks are for everyone. You can find information on registering a class at Michigan.gov/NatureAwaits.

Urban and community forestry

MI Trees

The DNR has pledged to plant 50 million trees by 2030, and you can help. Every tree you plant and track on MI Trees will add to the current 22.9 million trees already planted by the DNR and other residents like you! Invasive tree pests An invasive species is one that is not native and whose introduction causes harm, or is likely to cause harm, to Michigan’s economy, environment or human health. There are many invasive tree pests that can negatively impact our ecosystem. The DNR has an invasive species watch list; if you think you see any of these pests, check online for the symptoms and signs of infestation.

Partner spotlights

Check out our nonprofit Arbor Day partners:

• Adopt-a-Forest.
• Alliance for Community Trees.
• Buchanan Tree Friends.
• City Forest Credits.
• Dovetail Partners.
• Emerald Ash Borer Information Network.
• Enhance Escanaba.
• Friends of Rouge Park.
• Green Door Initiative.
• Green Macomb.
• International Society of Arboriculture.
• Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education.
• Michigan Beekeepers Association.
• Michigan Green Communities Network.
• Michigan Oak Wilt Coalition.
• Michigan State University Department of Forestry.
• Michigan State University Extension.
• Michigan Vernal Pools Partnerships.
• Nature Discovery.
• Old Growth Forest Network.
• Project Learning Tree.
• Rescue MI Nature Now.
• Re-Tree Tecumseh.
• Society of Municipal Arborists.
• Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition.

About 750 miles of road-clearing, and what did we find? Community

In the middle of a long day of clearing fallen trees and branches from roadways near Lewiston, Mich., Jason Mittlestat was able to put down his chainsaw and enjoy an unexpected treat: lunch at a community meal.

Sponsoring the lunch was St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, which also provided hot showers and beds for people who couldn’t stay at home due to the ice storm that devastated parts of a 12-county area of northern Michigan starting March 30-31.

“It was donated food and all volunteers running it,” said Teresa Collins, church secretary. “One day we served 600 meals.”

Mittlestat, a Michigan Department of Natural Resources forester from Baraga, reflected on what will really stick with him from this effort: “Neighbors helping neighbors. People helping out,” he said. “That’s how people are getting out of this.”

His story caused us to ask a similar question to another crew member, then another and another at dinner last night.

We’ve talked extensively about the mission of clearing roads and access to communications towers. This time we asked our crews: “After all of this, what is going stick with you?”

None of those we asked talked about trees or roads.

Mittlestat’s coworker Todd Markham, also of Baraga, chimed in “The human spirit is to be kind. I don’t want people to think we’re bragging about the stuff we cut. So many people were out there doing all of this. Neighbor to neighbor. All over. And we got to see that.”

The more we chatted, and people recounted their experiences during this emergency, age and experience melted away and we all simply appreciated the communities that welcomed us.

Rae Weiland, a firefighter based in Plainwell, eagerly added: “I’m sort of early in my career. Everyone being able to come together and work towards a common goal, that’s what I’ve really appreciated.”

One road clearing team was handed a stack of thank you notes written and decorated by children, with encouraging slogans like “We’re cheering for you” and “You can do it.”

The stories came faster from more and more crew members as they pushed their empty dinner plates out of the way, while the smell of chainsaw exhaust and saw dust hung in the air.

We all came to complete the mission of clearing nearly 750 miles of road assigned by the counties through the State Emergency Operations Center and to provide access to almost 50 communications towers.

What we’re leaving with is insight into resilience – of the forest and our communities.

Jen Hansen, a DNR fire supervisor in the Atlanta office, shared a moment she found one day to appreciate the beauty of a grove of aspens, bent but not broken by the ice, arched into a tunnel shape. Not to mention the spirit of people in the area.

“The most impressive thing was the community support,” she said. “Not just towards us, but towards each other.”

Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download.

• Thank you sign for crews
• Thank you notes

Contact: Patrick Ertel (Department of Natural Resources Incident Management Team), 989-370-1163 or Lauren Thompson Phillips (State Emergency Operations Center), 517-216-0103

Interactive map shows northern Michigan roads now open following ice storm

Resource includes areas cleared by Department of Natural Resources Incident Management Team, cooperators   

A new interactive map provides a tool for people to track roads that are now open following the massive ice storm in northern Michigan.

All roads on the map were identified as public safety priorities by the State Emergency Operations Center and were cleared of debris by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Incident Management Team, along with the Michigan National Guard and other cooperators.

“Making sure there are clear roads for vehicles in the event of an emergency has been one of our top missions since we got saws, trucks and equipment out in communities hit by these storms,” Keith Murphy, Incident Management Team Operations Chief, said. “Our crews and cooperators have already cleared more than 630 miles of roadway and we’re not done yet.”

Murphy added, “This map is a tool people can use to find clear routes to their destinations, providing options to keep them and their loved ones safe.”

The information on the map will be updated as more roads are assessed and cleared through state-supported efforts. Roads included on the map have been cleared by DNR Incident Management Team crews and the efforts of county road commissions, fire departments and many other cooperators. This is not a comprehensive list of all open roads, only those that have been assigned to DNR Incident Management Team.

“The progress made by the Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan National Guard, Michigan Task Force 1, the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the county road commissions has been nothing short of remarkable,” said Capt. Kevin Sweeney, deputy state director of Emergency Management and commander of the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division. “With hundreds of miles of roads now cleared, communities across mid-Michigan are seeing a return to safety and accessibility. This work supports ongoing emergency response efforts, and helps more schools reopen by ensuring buses can once again travel roads that were left impassable by the ice storm,” Sweeney said. “We’re grateful to all the crews working on the ground and to our residents for their continued patience and cooperation. There is still work to be done. We remain committed to continued support and coordination through our State Emergency Operations Center.”

In addition to clearing roadways, the DNR Incident Management Team and its cooperators ensured access to the state radio communications, including 911, state and local law enforcement, fire departments, hospitals, and other public safety agencies by clearing debris to 34 Michigan Public Safety Communications System towers. All 13 cellular towers assigned to the team have also been cleared.

The map and resources for those impacted by the ice storm can be found at https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/emhsd/2025-northern-michigan-ice-storm as well as Michigan.gov/IceStorm.

Note to editors: Accompanying photo is available below for download. Caption information follows.

Clearing debris: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources Incident Management Team and cooperators continue to remove tree debris from roads identified as priorities for public safety by the State Emergency Operations Center.