Smallmouth Bass Movements in the Menominee River, Wisconsin-Michigan

Several segments of the Menominee River that borders the states of Wisconsin and Michigan support exceptional fisheries for smallmouth bass. Fishery managers would like to know more about the seasonal movements of these populations in order to make more informed management decisions. Specifically, there is some concern that smallmouth bass congregate in relatively small areas during fall and winter months, making them easier to catch compared to other portions of the open-water fishing season. We used acoustic telemetry to determine if smallmouth bass in the Menominee River between Grand Rapids and Park Mill dams all moved to the lower, deeper portion of the river during fall or if bass generally remained in the segment of river where they were tagged. During May 2014, smallmouth bass ≥ 15 inches were collected by electrofishing and implanted with acoustic transmitters and their movements were monitored using both active tracking and fixed receivers. Preliminary results indicate wide variation in smallmouth bass movement, but our preliminary analysis suggests that smallmouth bass may be congregating in deep holes