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Sea Lamprey ⚠ Invasive

🔬 Petromyzon marinus

An eel-like jawless fish with a sucker mouth ringed with sharp, rasping teeth. Attaches to large fish and feeds on blood and body fluids, leaving distinctive circular wounds. Not a true eel -- a primitive jawless vertebrate unchanged for 340 million years. The primary reason Great Lakes fisheries nearly collapsed in the mid-20th century. Not a sport fish, but understanding sea lamprey is essential context for every Michigan angler.

🛡 Conservation Status

⚠ Invasive The most ecologically damaging invasive species in Great Lakes history. Entered through the Welland Canal by the 1930s. By the 1950s-60s had reduced lake trout populations by over 90% and devastated lake whitefish, burbot, and other species. The Great Lakes Fishery Commission's control program -- using targeted lampricides in tributaries and barrier dams -- has reduced populations by ~90% since 1956, allowing lake trout recovery. Annual control cost: ~$20 million. Michigan anglers fund this through fishing license fees.

🌿 Habitat & Behavior

Spawns in cold, gravel-bottomed streams throughout Michigan in spring. Larvae (ammocoetes) burrow in stream sediment for 4-7 years before transforming and migrating to the Great Lakes where they parasitize large fish for 12-20 months.

🌊 Where to Catch in Michigan

Lake County Population Notes
Burt Lake
17,120 acres
 Cheboygan Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Cheboygan Lake
640 acres
 Cheboygan Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Indian Lake
8,689 acres
 Schoolcraft Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Lake Gogebic
13,380 acres
 Gogebic Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Lake Michigamme
4,149 acres
 Marquette Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Lake St. Clair
260,000 acres
 Macomb Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Mullett Lake
16,630 acres
 Cheboygan Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Muskegon Lake
4,150 acres
 Muskegon Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.
Muskegon Lake
4,150 acres
 Muskegon Good Invasive parasite -- not a sport fish. Present in streams flowing to Great Lakes.

📦 DNR Stocking History

No stocking records are on file for Sea Lamprey.

This is common for several reasons: this species may reproduce naturally and not require stocking (e.g. Largemouth Bass, Northern Pike), it may be managed under a different program not tracked here, or records may predate our database. For the most current data, check the Michigan DNR Stocking Database directly.

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📋 Quick Facts

🔗 Resources

📖 DNR Sport Fishing Guide 📋 DNR Stocking Database 🐟 All Fish Species 🎣 MDNR Sport Fishing 🔬 MDNR Fish ID Guide 🎣 Log a catch