# Clinton River steelhead



## spar10

Greeting anglers,
I have some good news I wanted to share on this cold (that may be the understatement of the day) winter day. We (MDNR-Fisheries) have been able to direct more steelhead to the Clinton River, beginning this year. I regularly get questions on why the Clinton River gets so few fish given the amount of fishing effort it gets. Basically, our hatcheries are at full capacity for steelhead, so the only way to get more steelhead in one river is to take them from another. As you can imagine, that is a very difficult task. In Southeast Michigan, we have 4 rivers that get stocked annually with steelhead; Huron River (60,000), Clinton River (15,000), Mill Creek (15,000), and Belle River (12,000). The Huron River got a big increase in stocking when the fish ladder over the Flat Rock Dam was completed, opening up steelhead fishing all the way to the Belleville Dam. This stocking is fixed. That leaves Mill Creek and Belle River.

We always questioned whether the Mill Creek and Belle River stockings were the best use of a limited resource, because we got very few reports from anglers using these rivers. This contrasts to the extensive use we know we get on the Clinton. A few years ago we did a creel survey on Mill Creek and Belle River to evaluate the use of these rivers during the steelhead run. The results confirmed our suspicion that very few people are using these fisheries. Therefore, we are going to cannibalize some of the steelhead from these rivers to add to the Clinton River stocking. Beginning this spring, the Clinton River will get 25,000 steelhead, and Mill Creek will be reduced to 10,000 steelhead and Belle River to 7,000. The bottom line is a 40% increase in steelhead stocking on the Clinton River beginning this year. 

I know I have talked to some anglers who have this spring highlighted on their calendars. Remember that in spring 2003 we were able to stock a total of 30,000 (double the regular number) steelhead. This is the first spring that we expect to see these fish returning. That may warm you up a little, anticipating this springs fishery. 

Finally, we are going to be conducting a creel survey on the Clinton River this March/April. I hope that everyone that is contacted to participate in the survey will assist us. The better data we have to document the use of the fishery, the more likely we will be successful in support for the river.

Cheers,
Jim Francis
Fisheries Biologist


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## WILDCATWICK

That's too bad. As one of the fishers of the Belle River and Mill Creek I'm sad to hear it has been decreased. Does the clinton really get much steelhead pressure? I know the location is more condusive for pressure but I never really noticed any more pressure than say the Black river/Mill Creek. Also as my Dad lives on the Clinton, What section of the Clinton receive the most pressure?


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## ESOX

The most pressure is exerted in the wrong place. 

Nothing like spending an afternoon with the yahoos at Yates. LOL


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## dinoday

ESOX said:


> The most pressure is exerted in the wrong place.
> 
> Nothing like spending an afternoon with the yahoos at Yates. LOL


 
I am glad to know they're putting more in there though.The more the merrier


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## Splitshot

Jim,

Thanks for the information. I'm sure lots of people will be encouraged that you guys thinking of ways to enhance our overall fishing experiences. Part of the problem is lots of people who fish the Clinton don't want others to know there are even steelhead there. Ive heard that it is a very fragile river and as such needs to be kept secret to protect it.

So while they are happy that there will be more fish to catch, they dont necessarily want you to advertise it. See the conflict? In any event, thoughtful ideas like yours are appreciated by many of us.


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## trout

> We always questioned whether the Mill Creek and Belle River stockings were the best use of a limited resource, because we got very few reports from anglers using these rivers. This contrasts to the extensive use we know we get on the Clinton. A few years ago we did a creel survey on Mill Creek and Belle River to evaluate the use of these rivers during the steelhead run. The results confirmed our suspicion that very few people are using these fisheries


I think I have the answer you are looking for.
I am a lifelong resident of St. Clair County.
In the past 20 years I have seen more NO PARKING signs at bridges and other traditional river access areas.
These no parking signs are put in place by the townships request to the road commission.
I was privey to one such case.
It involved a township supervisor and a bridge access that one property owner felt needed to be closed.
On pure speculation that cars parked on county right of ways near the bridge would draw people of unknown charector, the twp supervisor went to bat and was able to close the road to parking for 1/8 of a mile each side of the bridge.
In this case 100's of fishermen had access for 50 years, no more.
Most of the Mill Creek is posted in this manner, I'd guess up to 90%.
Most of Mill creek is boardered by private land.
Where are the access points today?
If the Black river damn was to be altered to allow fish upstream those steelhead fishermen could enjoy great fishing on the SGA for many miles.
The area has excellant gravel and spring flows.
Two things need to happen to have fishermen.
You need parking and you need the private landowners to understand a wading fisherman is fishing in a legal manner.
St Clair county government is very much anti fishing in their decision making powers.
Change that and we can park and fish.
For those who wish to gain access try some of the campgrounds and rails to trails junctions with the river.
If you'd care to see the parking or lack of I will show you, plus all the areas I feel could be opened up.


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## ESOX

LOL Ray, I think it's a little tougher than it's given credit for. After any sizable rainfall or runoff the river becomes an open cesspool downstream of Red Run Drain. Upstream of there the river winds around a most picturesque Superfund site that has yet to be fully cleaned up. Despite our best efforts to ruin the river for decade upon decade, it continues to do well, and is orders of magnitude better than it was 30 years ago. There have been great achivements in recent years in improving the water quality. The river has room for a LOT more pressure than it currently recieves. The funny thing is that other than the steelhead run, I seldom have to share the river with anybody other than the resident muskie, bass, cats etc. Peoples desire to not have the rivers fishery advertised is motivated by greed, not out of any real concern for this "pristine" fishery.

I appreciate the efforts of the DNR in regards to improving the fishery in the Clinton, considering it's location in the most populated area of the state, I would say that the DNR is making an excellent decision in planting more fish there. Might even be that in the future I won't be the only person trying to intercept them in the lake around ice out.


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## Splitshot

Paul,

I was being sarcastic about how fragile our rivers are. For years people have said, dont mention streams in the UP or small streams because they are fragile. While those may sound like words of wisdom, it aint true, especially when you consider our rivers and streams have withstood logging, the Corp of Engineers, floods, dams, urban sprawl and many other catastrophes. Based on that, I think it is save to assume that any river can withstand a few fishermen. 

I guess some people want others to think they are noble and caring so they make silly statements like our rivers are fragile. Sorry if I misled you.


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## ESOX

I know you were being sarcastic Ray, thats why I laughed first.
The rest of the post was a statement showing how well placed your sarcasm is.


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## Splitshot

Got it!


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## MSUICEMAN

i don't know if its out of greed, or general concern (even though they may be misinformed). but yeah, there is a steelhead run in the clinton, and the warmwater fishery is underrated. there, i said it, LOL. There are a few areas that i think silt traps or simple habitat construction would greatly benefit the fishery for the PUBLIC. there are quite a few areas for the public to hit this river, and i believe we can expand the possibilities. at the very least it serves as a good river to get people interested in fishing and bring up conversation.

steve


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## spar10

Well, it looks like my post provided some good discussion. Trout, you are right on about the access issues on Mill Creek. That is one of the main reasons we are making the shift in stocking numbers. We do not want to put these valueable fish where anglers can not get to them. 

Regarding the Clinton River . . . it is what it is. I have heard people refer to it as an urban fishery. There's nothing wrong with that. The reality is that we have a large population centered here in SE Michigan, and because of that, the river gets a lot of fishing pressure. I see a number of positive things that come out of stocking steelhead in the Clinton. First and foremost, it provides fishing opportunities. This fishing opportunity is in close proxomity to lots of people. This means you can get out and have a steelhead trip without having to make the trek north or west to some of the states better steelhead rivers. Second, it is very true that when people have a vested interest in a river, they become stewards of the river. The Clinton River has come a long way, but there are always challenges to the river.

Wildcatwick, as a regular on the Mill and Belle, I am interested in your observations on these rivers (PM if you want). What have you seen as far as catch rates and other anglers?

Jim


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## WILDCATWICK

spar10 said:


> Wildcatwick, as a regular on the Mill and Belle, I am interested in your observations on these rivers (PM if you want). What have you seen as far as catch rates and other anglers?
> 
> Jim


Low & low. Access has put everyone in one spot. So what few fish are in that area are hammered heavy and aren't on the take very often as a result. The majority of the people there (regulars) are fishing for bottom feeding fish with worms. They tend to post up where the Mill & Black meet. 

I find it frustrating that someone like Fred Fuller works so hard to try to preserve the mill from dredging and other techniques that would hurt the water way so people can enjoy it for recreation, yet we can't find hardly any access to it. 

If anybody wants to go in the spring please PM me. Has anyone canoed down the Mill? My girlfriend did a portion of it in a kayak. I'm just wondering where to access and how long of a float. Could it be done in a pontoon?


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## Steve

Jim, thanks for the post. I'm glad to hear that the DNR knows about this "secret" river as well.


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## stinger63

> We do not want to put these valueable fish where anglers can not get to them.


Trout brings up some good points about mill creek access points or lack of them.I used to fish this creek heavily about 4-5 years agf course I lived alot closer to it then than I do now.This creek has many pituresque qualities of or similar to a stream that you will find up north.It ticks me that the access to this stream and some others have been cutoff access and that the plantings will stop there.Instead of taking away a resorce (Fish plantings) and transferring them into another river get these arsehole county road commisioners to take the dam signs down and give us fisherman rightaways to get to these areas that we want and would like to fish.Make some improvements on this stream and have the state buy some of the private land along mill creek and open it up to the public.Theres 1 public access spot that I know of along this creek and its where the confluence of mill creek meets up with the black river.Im fortunate its there and I go there to fish when I get the chance.If access to the creek is what is going to be used as justifiable meens or reasoning to stop planting these fish there then why did the even plant them there to begin with?It doesnt make any sense to me how things are done and work in St Clair county,The board of city and county commisioners are a bunch of idiots with their heads so buried up their butts that they will never see the light of day.I dont have anything against the Clinton river getting planted with steelhead,browns or any other fish but to take them away from another area and put them there for stupid political reasoning gets my goat.



> I'm just wondering where to access and how long of a float.


I dont think its posible to float down mill creek to far these days because of alot of beaver impoundments that have pretty much dominated the flow of the creek these days.For access though one could try the city park in Yale but I dont know how far you could get.There used to be an acesss point in the Brockaway township also but I think its private now days.You could always put in at the stateland access point in beardshills and be able to get about maybe 1/4 of mile before entering into black river.Theres some shallow ares through there.


BTW and off the subject a bit but did anyone see the front page of the times herald yesterday?From what I read and seen I was furious!How do these idiots get elected by the people here?I mean a large percentage of the voters realy have no clue on whom they are electing obviously! :rant:


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## Hamilton Reef

Hi Jim, Glad to hear an old friend is still active.
Several years ago I can remember using my electroshocker surveying for sea lamprey in the Clinton River. In those days the river was too polluted for sea lamprey or to even think about having steelhead. The long road of the Clean Water Act and the hard work of the Clinton River Watershed groups has made the steelhead fishing possible. Many M-S members are too young to know how good the CWA was for the watersheds of Michigan and it is a shame how the CWA is presently under attack by the polluter campaign contributors. I really love to hear of the steelhead in the Clinton. It is those success stories that warms the hearts of fishery biologist. For the M-S guys I would like to state that you are fortunate to have Jim in Michigan. Jim can appreciate working with marginal trout streams and promoting their full potential after working in Indiana with limited resources. Be sure to give Jim your full support.
Tom Hamilton, Fishery Biologist (retired)


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## Hamilton Reef

DNR ups steelhead allotment
Web-posted Jan 30, 2005

By BOB GROSS, Of The Daily Oakland Press

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources plans to stock 10,000 more steelhead this spring in the Clinton River than usual. The Clinton's allotment of the prized game fish will be 25,000, up from 15,000. 

"It's just so exciting," said Dan Keifer, development director for the Clinton River Watershed Council. "It's such good news for the interest of both the river and river users like the fishermen. 

"Obviously, it's an indication that the river can support more fish and more fishing." 

In an e-mail posted to the watershed council's listserve, the DNR cites fishing pressure on the Clinton as the reason for the increase. Anglers regularly line the banks at Yates Dam in Rochester Hills during March, April and May to catch the silvery trout as they head upstream from Lake St. Clair. 

"The Clinton River just gets a lot of fishing on it," said Keifer. "This is the DNR responding to the interest of fishermen using the Clinton to put more fish where the fishermen are." 

The DNR was able to find the extra fish for the Clinton by reducing allotments for the Belle River and Mill Creek in St. Clair County to 7,000 and 10,000 fish, respectively. Those two streams don't get the fishing pressure, according to the DNR, that the Clinton does. 

A DNR survey several years ago found that anglers spent about 21,000 hours fishing during the six-week spring steelhead run, primarily in the stretch of the river from Yates Dam to Ryan Road. 

Steelhead are lake-run rainbow trout. They're either born in a river or released there, spend about two to three years in the open water, then return to spawn. 

Like Pacific salmon, steelhead are natives of the Northwest that were transplanted into the Great Lakes. Unlike salmon, however, they can spawn more than once. 

While they may reach 20 pounds in weight, the average adult size is 9 to 10 pounds. 

In 2003, the DNR released 30,000 steelhead smolts - yearling fish - into the Clinton. Those fish should start returning to spawn this spring. 

"We're very pleased, certainly for the fishing and the fishermen and the recreation," said Keifer, "but we're also pleased because this is sort of a good canary in the coal mine evidence to the general public that this river is not polluted. Heck, it supports fish; heck, it supports trout; heck, it supports even more.


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## stinger63

> The DNR was able to find the extra fish for the Clinton by reducing allotments for the Belle River and Mill Creek in St. Clair County to 7,000 and 10,000 fish, respectively. Those two streams don't get the fishing pressure, according to the DNR, that the Clinton does.



You know what doesnt make sense,Of course these 2 streams dont get the fishing presure that the clinton river does because they are not located in as heavily of a populated area like metro detroit.SO the DNR robs our allocation of plants to put them there!What a bunch of political horse **** :rant:No disrespect towards you Hamilton Reef but I do not agree with this decision to do this.One of the advantages of fishing mill creek or bell or pine rivers is lack of other angling presure.Solitude,peace and quiet without all the disgusting trash of metro detroit littering fisherman.Where can st clair county anglers petition against this?Dont we have any kinda say of what the DNR does or doesnt do?


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## trout

It's the best choice, in this case the numbers of fishermen are greater.
The resource will see more active users per fish.
The monies used are generated by fishermen so they should be the priority as to where the stocking(s) occur.
The lack of fishing on the Mill and Belle are results of the various twp and road commissions and should not be tied to the DNR.
We should take actions at the twp and R.C. levels to make changes in river access.
In this case the DNR is doing what is best.
The Mill and Belle are still going to be stocked in the end.


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## stinger63

In this case the county road comissioner and townships influenced the dnr to make this decision.I notice that Hamilton Reefs article doesnt tell the whole story and glamorfies its to make it look like its a great and rosy picture.It doesnt explain the story that you told me about TROUT.It also was done behind our backs and the rest of st clair county residents had no say in this.Its just not right to do this without any public input on the matter.Had this been brought out in the open to the rest of the public then maybe angler opinion could have stopped this decision being made.In the long run its going to hurt us anglers here in this neck of the woods.These stocked fish make up a large percentage of the steelhead run in the st clair river as well.This decision affects all of us who fish this resource.Im not speaking selfishly when I say this either.POLITICS ! Im just sick of it :rant:


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## Hamilton Reef

Clinton River swims in fish
Steelhead, brown trout and salmon jump in what was once a polluted waterway.

SHELBY TOWNSHIP -- The much-maligned, coffee-colored Clinton River, known more for bacteria pollution and logjams, is becoming a hot spot for trout and salmon fishing.
The state Department of Natural Resources will stock 25,000 steelhead trout in the Clinton this spring, a 40 percent increase from the 15,000 young trout released into the stream last year.

http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0502/06/D01-80909.htm


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## Salmonous Maximus

I just hope the DNR sends out more officers to control the many "scumbags" that are sure to head down to the clinton for a good ole night of snaggin'.
I have fished the river many times(mainly when I was a teenager) and there are plenty of dirtballs down there. I know some of us honest fisherman do, and will fish the Clinton in the future. All I'm asking is that if you want to turn the Clinton into a major trout/salmon river, then please be ready to protect the new "investment" you are making. The littering down near Yates is out of control too.


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## ESOX

stinger63 said:


> You know what doesnt make sense,Of course these 2 streams dont get the fishing presure that the clinton river does because they are not located in as heavily of a populated area like metro detroit.


There is more to it than just population in the vicinity, there are miles and miles of public access to the Clinton.


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## stinger63

The state could provide more access to mill creek,bell and pine rivers.Im asking the the imposible.
Steelhead stocked in mill creek were once stocked in the city park of yale michigan.Theres about 2 miles of public access there.Never once when I fished did I ever see a dnr creel census person!


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## Steve

> Clinton River swims in fish
> Steelhead, brown trout and salmon jump in what was once a polluted waterway.
> 
> SHELBY TOWNSHIP -- The much-maligned, coffee-colored Clinton River, known more for bacteria pollution and logjams, is becoming a hot spot for trout and salmon fishing.
> The state Department of Natural Resources will stock 25,000 steelhead trout in the Clinton this spring, a 40 percent increase from the 15,000 young trout released into the stream last year.
> 
> http://www.detnews.com/2005/metro/0502/06/D01-80909.htm


Shhhh, we can't have the largest newspaper in Michigan talking about this river.


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## stinger63

Well since it has been publisized in one of the largest metro newspapers in the state,we should now have more liberty in discussing this river :lol:


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## WILDCATWICK

> We should take actions at the twp and R.C. levels to make changes in river access.


When do we get started?  

I went down to the Mill Creek on Friday. Walked to the trestle. Saw two deer grazing on branches. It was an absultly beautiful evening. The air was fresh with just a slight chill. Birds were flying up and dwon the valley. There was one small opening upstream in the river. It must have been about 30 ft by 5 ft. Hardly enough to break out the fly rod. Just big enough to start thinking about when it might break up!! :lol: 

I still had ants in the pants so on Sunday I drove to the Belle River. I stoped at several of the bridges just off of Gratiot. I saw another opening that was on great gravel. The opening howevers was the same size as the one on the Mill. My girlfriend and I sat in the melting snow listening to the river gurgle. That is one of my favorite sounds in the great out doors. 

I looked at several maps and noticed that there is alot of land on both these rivers that are marked as public land. But when I drive to these places it all appears private?? With the recent movement of the rails to trails, maybe it's a good time to try to get access expanded. THe public is extreamly happy with the outcome of rails to trails, maybe we can carry that attitude and momentum over. We just need a catchy campaing slogan and a plan!!


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## jd_7655

I fished the clinton meny of times and its a cespool the steelhead return from the lake and they swim trhough raw sewage. I hope knowone eats them after that. If only people have seen what I've seen and smelled. My grandmother live at clinton river rd and garfield and in the summer it smells worse then any porta jon I've ever been in. I've also witnessed a line of terds as far as I could see comming down the spillway. Yeah the waters cleaner in shelby twp but who cares look what they go through to get there. It should be against the law to keep fish out of there let alone stock it thats just an incentive to keep the fish.


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## stinger63

> I fished the clinton meny of times and its a cespool the steelhead return from the lake and they swim trhough raw sewage.


 DNR bioligist know this and they are still going to plant more fish in there,yet alone the allotments that should go to st clair county.This side of the state is __________up :rant:I wonder if the creel cenus clerk counts the terds coming down the river?


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## ebz

Yup - but they only count the floaters... They have difficulty seeing hte sinkers after a rain when the water gets muddy...:lol:


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## stinger63

I had an off the forum discussion last night with a forum member.We concluded that insted of trying to make this river a quality cold water fishery that perhaps this stream is more suitable for becoming a better walleye fishery.Make sense to me!


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## ESOX

It already is a good walleye fishery, I have it all to myself.SHHHHHH


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## Splitshot

Without stocking there would be no steelhead because even if spawning occurs, the young fish will not make it through the summer. Planting steelhead does not distract from the other fishery and is just a bonus. The Clinton river will never be a cold water fishery for many reasons like most other southern Michigan rivers.

There is a lot of room for improvement on the Clinton. Reducing pollution and habitat improvement would benefit all fish in the river.


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## FlyDaddy

I think the stocking program is an excellent idea...just not on the Clinton at this point in time, especially taking away from 2 rivers that have a much better chance for success. I have fished the Clinton a few times but honestly I never expect anything. It's like pretend fishing. As far as I am concerned the stock in the clinton is a waste of time until more is done to improve the system. I know it's better but it has a Looooooong way to go.

There is hope however. The Credit River in Toronto was in the same shape and near the mouth it still in poor shape, but much care has been taken over the last decade to improve the water quality and it seems to be working. From what I understand the Credit can return 30,000 steelhead annually, as well brook and and browns are also caught there.

Maybe, just maybe the Clinton may one day thrive, but for now it remains a logging river, and I don't mean wood. Treat it like sh*t and it will return sh*t.

FD


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## M. Tonello

Jim,
I think it was an excellent management decision to move those steelies to the Clinton. The Clinton was my "home river" growing up, and I spent a lot of time fishing on it as a kid. I caught one of my first steelhead in there. I'll never forget being awed at watching salmon trying to jump Yates Dam. Anyhow, it was a solid move and will no doubt pay benefits in additional angler hours. Thanks for taking good care of the river I grew up on!


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## Splitshot

Mark,

I'll probably never fish the Clinton but what goes around, comes around. Thanks for taking care of my home river. You and Tom are a couple of the main cogs in an effort by many to make it what it is today.


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## spar10

Wow, I had no idea my initial post would open up such a long discussion. But that is what these forums are all about, and I think some really good points and observations were made. 

Stinger, I sense a lot of frustration on your end. You indicated that you felt this decision was some underhanded decision that was made for political reasons. Contrary to your opinion, that is exactly the reason I posted the original note on this forum . . . to let people know what is going on. You, and a number of other people all hit the nail on the head . . . very limited access. As a matter of fact, we (DNR) worked very hard to open up additional access on these rivers. A few years ago, the DNR was ready to buy a piece of property on the Belle River near Memphis. Our intention was that the state would buy the property and give it to the township to manage as a park that would provide angler access. We had support from two local residents that were working to make this happen. The township blocked the purchase and prevented this from taking place. Basically they turned down a free park because the immediate neighbors were worried about the rif-raf that would be attracted to this type of property. Bottom line, if the residents at the county and local level make their elected officials aware that access needs to be a priority, we could get more done. 

You are also right Stinger, that the Mill and Belle provide different types of fishing experiences than the Clinton. We value that variety and that is why they are still being stocked (albeit at lower levels). They are still being stocked and will still get runs of fish. If access improves down the road, then we will reconsider again.

The DNR has a policy not to stock or survey private lakes. I think most people agree with that policy. We have plenty of public waters to manage that are readily available to the public. If people support only working on public lakes, then I think the same applies to rivers. 

I know I am sensitive to the issue, but the cesspool and turd jokes on the Clinton are getting old. I understand that everyone is entitled to their opinion, but these are uniformed comments. Also consider with steelhead, that you are catching fish that are 3, 4 and 5 years old, and they are only going to spend the maximum of about 2 months actually in the Clinton River.

Jim Francis
Fisheries Biologist


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## stinger63

Thanks Jim for your responce to this thread,Frustration is an understatement on how I feel.Heres how I feel,Mill creek and bell rivers provide some unique and quality fishing experiences.There are places that ARE not within township limits where the state can purchase land and neighbors wont have to worry about infringment on the precious properties.Dont take me the wrong way,I understand where they are coming from.Some so called anglers are scum but many others are not and unfortunately we good ones get a bad rap for them.If the state or DNR ran into obstructions on the 1st choice then why didnt they try somewhere else.Why did they not bring it into a discussion to talked about in an open forum at the township hall.Why wasnt there any public notifications about it in a local or surrounding newspaper?Theres just not enough being done and if there is nobody including myself ever hears or is informed about it,how are any of us supposed to know?.What I think is,and this just my opinion is the state,dnr or whom ever else is responcible is just trying to take the easy way out of improving existing areason these 2 other streams.Its easy to say that creel clerks arent getting enough angler feed back to justisfy stocking these places and move the alotments somewhere else.How do we realy know if this true or just a bunch of fabrication?I see creel clerks on occasion but most of the time very rarely.When I do I give them as much info as posible.I do what I can to help.Its just my opinion but I dont feel the clinton river deserves all these extra fish until something significantly is done about the wastewater facilities dumping their untreated sewage into this and other rivers.Im tired of reading in the newspaper or watching on tv that x number amount of untreated sewage gets dumped into our rivers and streams everytime it rains.They can get the funding somehow and upgrade their systems if its made a priority which for now it isnt.The clinton river is a "marginal river" for cold water species and it shouldnt be given the attention like it is one.Stock more warm water species in there that are more pollution tollerant and quit wasting fish,resources,and effort trying to make it into something its not.There are other places that can benifit much better in my opinion. 
I forgot to ask this and was meaning to earlier when another person mentioned this earlier in this thread.How many steelhead will still be stocked in these streams and how often?


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## dinoday

Where do the steelhead go when they leave the river?I know it empties into Lk.St.Clair,but I've never heard of anyone fishing for the there.Do they do up the river(St.Clair) to Huron or is it sort of unknown where they go?


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## stinger63

I dont realy think anyone knows forsure where these fish go.I do know that steelhead are on rare occasion do get caught out of LSC and I think its mostly by accident.I could be way off on this one but Im going to specualate and say most of these fish probaly end up in Lake Erie.A few posibly make it up to lake huron.Once again this is just my speculation.

I also want to say that earlier when I posted on this thread that I wasnt Blasting at our informitive friend "Hamilton Reef"I wasnt forsure if there was any misunderstanding on that or not but I just wanted to clear that up.Kep up the good work Hamilton Reef and keep us informed


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