Consider this a supplement to Fishes of Isle Royale, available for a modest price from The Isle Royale Natural History Association. Although fishing conditions and regulations vary from year to year, this is intended to at least point you in the right direction. (The crew members of the GPIR boats usually have a good handle on current fishing conditions, if you're on a ferry departing from Grand Portage.) For a reference map of the lakes, reefs, and coves, consult Lake Survey Chart 14976, "Isle Royale", and the National Park Service Map.

 

As overfishing and other factors have led to a decline in Lake Superior fish stocks, regulations in the park have been implemented to preserve the remaining fishes:

1. A Michigan fishing license is needed in Lake Superior, but none is needed for inland lakes and streams.
2. Inland waters of the park are restricted to non-motorized boats
3. Use artificial lures in all waters to prevent introducing non-native species.
4. Fish in your possession must be identifiable by size and species while in the park
5. Fish remains need to be disposed of properly:
   • Rock Harbor: Use the fish cleaning station provided
   • Windigo: Bag remains in plastic and place in trash cans
   • Elsewhere:
     1. Use fish cleaning tables where available instead of docks
     2. Cut remains and bladders into small chunks
     3. Dump remains in waters deeper than 50 feet, well away from developed areas, or in the shoreline interval between the waveline and vegetation
     4. Do not feed remains to wildlife