Ontario Steelheaders

September 7, 2026September 7, 2026

Great Lakes Basin Report September, 2026

Articles include:

The overlooked native fish that has been crushing trillions of invasive mussels
NOAA publishes historical recreational fishing estimates
Dr. Howard Tanner 1923 – 2026
DFO launches 2026 Sea Lamprey control season across Great Lakes
2026 Hook & Line Sturgeon Season opened Sept. 5
The Importance of Catch-and-Release
Initiative diverts 24 million lbs. of fish waste from landfills
2026 Special Report on Fishing shows first decline in fishing since 2021
Long live the sturgeon!
More 2nd Amendment stuff

More inside…

The Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council is a confederation of organizations and individuals who share a concern for the present and future of sport fishing, our natural and stocked resources and the ecosystem of the Great Lakes.

The following links provide more information about what’s going on in the areas around the Great Lakes: Ontario, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York , Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

News letters are provided in PDF format and you must have a PDF Reader to view these files.

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Previous Reports:

August 18, 2026August 19, 2026

IMPORTANT NOTICE OF UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTIONS

Attached, you will find a Notice of Election Memo and a Nomination Ballot for the upcoming election on October 17, 2026. The Election Memo provides a brief description of the roles and responsibilities involved and the Ballot is to be used for nominations – please read this first. Using the Nomination Ballot any member can either self-nominate, or be nominated by another member for any of the listed positions provided that member is eligible to do so. Nominations MUST be received by September 15, 2026 and any nominations received after this date will not be considered. Please send all nominations by mail to the address on the form or email them to ontariosteelheaders@gmail.com.

Notice of Election Memo

Nomination Ballot

July 29, 2026July 29, 2026

Great Lakes Basin Report August, 2026

Articles include:

Michigan tribe released over 1 million fish into the Great Lakes
Monitoring buoys on Green Bay give boaters real-time wave info
Small earthquake shakes up Lake Michigan
August land auctions help DNR meet mission to boost
Waterways Safety Council virtual meeting on August 19
More 2nd Amendment stuff
Lake Michigan Report (pages 6-11)

More inside…

News letters are provided in PDF format and you must have a PDF Reader to view these files.

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Previous Reports:

July 13, 2026July 16, 2026

Great Lakes Basin Report July, 2026

Articles include:

Scientists warn of invasive pinks rapid spread
Wisconsinites invited to participate in WCC resolution process
DNR monitoring die-off of silver carp on Illinois River
Round goby emergency rule in effect on the Winnebago System
Walleye Ideas
2nd Amendment issues
Lake Ontario Report (7 pages)

More inside…

News letters are provided in PDF format and you must have a PDF Reader to view these files.

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Previous Reports:

June 20, 2026June 23, 2026

Great Lakes Basin Report June, 2026

Articles include:

Researchers worry about federal cuts to NOAA
Watch for orange flags and buoys when boating on the Great Lakes
Coast Guard launches new sail drones on Lake Erie
Ohio to restore sauger population in Maumee, Sandusky rivers
Great Lakes report card gives fair rating
Jigging for Summer Walleyes
Judge prevents Wisconsin tribe from restricting fishing on 20 lakes
FWS to survey Great Lakes tributaries to search for lampreys
Lake Huron Report (4 pages)

More inside…

News letters are provided in PDF format and you must have a PDF Reader to view these files.

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Previous Reports:

May 20, 2026May 20, 2026

Important Notice Regarding e-Transfers

Hello everyone, for those of you wishing to make any type of payment to The Ontario Steelheaders by way of e-Transfer (such as your annual membership renewal), then please forward your payment to ontariosteelheaders25@gmail.com. Please do not send e-Transfers to ontariosteelheaders@gmail.com as that account is not set up to receive e-Transfers. Thank you.

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

Trout Growth Chart

Trout don’t grow on a fixed schedule. Cold, clean water and a steady food supply drive everything.

Brook trout are the fastest out of the gate — showing color and form within the first few months — but they plateau early. A 5 or 6 year old brookie is a late-stage fish. Rainbow trout take longer to mature, hitting their stride around 2 to 3 years and running strong through year 7 or 8. Brown trout are the long game. They’re still developing at 4 to 6 years and don’t reach late age until 9 or 10.

That’s why a big brown feels different to catch — that fish has been working a piece of water for nearly a decade.

The common thread across all three: habitat quality determines growth rate. Cold, oxygenated water and consistent forage produce fish that reach their potential. Degrade the water or the food supply and growth stalls — sometimes permanently.

Handle them with care. The fish you release today is still growing.

May 14, 2026May 14, 2026

Great Lakes Basin Report May, 2026

Articles include:

Ohio urges Congress to renew Great Lakes funding before deadline
Canada announces end of Weatherradio Canada
Walleye tag reward study continues in the Bay of Green Bay
Trout, Lower Peninsula walleye and pike seasons now open
Lake Michigan Report (6 pages)

More inside…

News letters are provided in PDF format and you must have a PDF Reader to view these files.

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