Ice Fishing Shanty

Guarding Ancient Fish

It's estimated the sturgeon population in the Great Lakes area today is about one percent of what it was 100 years ago. For a species that survived several ice ages that's a steep decline in a short period of time.

The idea to guard sturgeon during their spawning runs up the Black River stems from Brenda Archambo. She founded the group Sturgeon for Tomorrow. Its mission is part protection of the fish and part outreach to inspire support.

Archambo remembers her first encounter with a sturgeon when she was a young girl ice fishing with her grandfather on nearby Black Lake. She says they heard a commotion in a nearby fishing shanty and ran over to see what was happening.

"I remember seeing this huge fish, which I'd never seen before. And I remember looking into the eye of this sturgeon and their pupils are diamond shaped and it reminded me of pictures I'd seen of dinosaurs," she says.

Ever since then, Archambo says, she's been hooked on what she calls the elder statesman of Great Lakes fish.

Loathed and Loved Sturgeon trace back to the time of the dinosaurs, 135 million years ago. It's a distant relative of sharks and rays and doesn't have scales but rather bony plates and it has whiskers on its snout like catfish for sensing its food along the bottom. 

In the late 19th century commercial fishermen considered it a nuisance because the huge fish damaged their nets. Sturgeon were thrown onto beaches, stacked like cordwood and burned in the boilers of steam ships.

Later when its meat and caviar became prized, the fish was overharvested.

Declining Numbers Fish surveys in Black Lake from the mid-1970's to the mid 1990's showed two-thirds of the sturgeon population in Black Lake had disappeared. So wildlife managers said they were going to shut down the harvest completely.

Brenda Archambo and other sportsmen and women argued that even a limited harvest is necessary to keep that tradition intact. She says an ongoing connection with the fish is important so people won't forget it and will want to protect it.

So now, in return for allowing less than a dozen sturgeon to be speared on Black Lake in February, her group guards a few hundred sturgeon each spring when they're most vulnerable as they swim up the river to spawn.

Research Effort In a full body wet suit John Bauman snorkels into a deep hole in the river with a big net to retrieve a sturgeon. Bauman is a researcher with Michigan State University. During the spawning run his team tags most of the fish. They also capture the tiny early stage of sturgeon that float downstream just after they're hatched from the eggs. Those larvae are taken to a hatchery next to the river and reared over the summer.

Ice Fishing in Michigan | Pure Michigan Connect

Peloza’s shanties are simple, yet well-designed shelters, warmed with propane heaters, outfitted with windows, fish-finding electronics and bench seats. I listen in as Peloza offers four guests from Wisconsin suggestions on what depth to fish and lures to consider.

I pick up a lot of good advice, but to me the real sport seems to be the camaraderie among this village of shanties. Complete strangers teach me how to jig a hand line and offer up slices of deer sausage.

Insider Tips:

1. If you’re renting a shanty, you’ll stay warmer than you might expect. But the “floor” is still lake ice, so warm boots (and thick socks!) are a must.

2. Buy local! The hot lure that had everyone talking was the Red Grape Shiver Minnow—made by Moonshine Lures in nearby Perkins. Most area tackle shops carry it.

3. Little Bay de Noc is famous for its walleye fishery, but don’t discount other species. Yellow perch also are plentiful here—and delicious. They require less finesse to catch than walleye, so are a good challenge for newcomers and kids.

4. Never venture out onto the ice without assessing its safety. Contact the Delta County Sheriff Marine Patrol Office at 906/786-3633 with any questions. Local fishing guides and bait shops like Bay View Bait & Tackle also are good sources of local information.

Trip Planner

A guided ice-fishing trip with Mark Peloza’s Hawg Heaven Guide Service is $250/day for two; $50 each additional person. Fish shack rental only is $125/day.

Walleye season ends March 31. For information on fishing licenses, regulations and seasons, contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources .

The Terrace Bay Resort caters to anglers with fish-cleaning facilities and a prime location just south of Gladstone. It has an early ‘60s feel and a colorful history as a 1930s dance hall. Facilities include spacious rooms, an indoor pool and sauna. In the off-chance you strike out on the ice, its Surf Room restaurant serves outstanding lake perch and walleye. Doubles begin at $54. Call 906/786-7554 for information on rates and availability.

Freelance writer Tina Lassen has spent more than 25 years exploring and writing about Michigan’s outdoor adventures. She is a frequent contributor to Midwest Living Magazine , and has written extensively about Michigan in guidebooks like National Geographic’s Guide to America’s Outdoors: Great Lakes.