Early explorers were amazed by the rich fish population of the world's greatest lake. Up to 44 different species are known to exist within and around the Apostle Islands including recreationally and commercially important species such as lake trout, whitefish, lake sturgeon and smallmouth bass along with several other species many people may not be aware of such as the spoonhead sculpin, trout-perch or Johnny Darter. Historically, Native Americans and fur trappers fished for subsistence and trade. Later, in the 1870’s and 1880’s, commercial fishing became a major industry. Years of heavy fishing pressure, combined with extensive habitat degradation from forestry and agriculture, took a toll on fish populations. By the 1890’s the whitefish population crashed, and fishermen turned to lake trout and herring (cisco). Whitefish, aided by the state’s stocking program, recovered in the 1930’s. Then the most severe blow to Great Lakes fisheries came with the arrival of the sea lamprey. By the 1950's this parasitic species devastated much of the native fish population in the lower Great Lakes and impacted Lake Superior stocks of lake trout and whitefish. Intensive control efforts by both U.S. and Canadian governments succeeded in minimizing the havoc wrought by the sea lamprey in Lake Superior, and some fish populations have rebounded.
When the Apostle Island National Lakeshore was established in 1970, some fish populations were at historic lows. Establishment of Refuges at Gull and Devils Island shoals (in 1976 and 1981, respectively) offered habitat protection for lake trout, and have been a great success story. Recent investigations show that the refuges, originally established to protect and help restore lake trout populations, have also resulted in increases to lake whitefish production and recruitment in the surrounding area. Lake trout, once on the verge of disappearance, and whitefish once again maintain viable populations in the cold, clear waters of Gichigami (Lake Superior) and support important commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the Apostle Islands area.
Brook Trout
NPS photo/J. Glase
Recreational and commercial harvest limits and monitoring help maintain fisheries in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior. While the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources sets and enforces harvest limits, management of the fisheries in the waters around the Apostle Islands is a joint effort between multiple organizations. The Lake Superior Technical Committee of the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission, comprised of representatives from the states, provinces, tribes and federal agencies, collaborates to acquire and provide technical information on the status of fish stocks including management alternatives and guidelines in making and evaluating fisheries management decisions
Occurrence values are defined below. One or more Occurrence Tags may be associated with each Occurrence value.
Present: Species occurs in park; current, reliable evidence available.
Probably Present: High confidence species occurs in park but current, verified evidence needed.
Unconfirmed: Species is attributed to park but evidence is weak or absent.
Not In Park: Species is not known to occur in park.
Occurrence Tags
Adjacent: Species is known to occur in areas near to or contiguous with park boundaries.
False Report: Species was reported to occur within the park, but current evidence indicates the report was based on misidentification, a taxonomic concept no longer accepted, or other similar problem of error or interpretation.
Historical: Species' historical occurrence in park is documented. Assigned based on judgment as opposed to determination based on age of the most recent evidence.
Abundance
Abundant:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, and counted in relatively large numbers.
Plants: Large number of individuals; wide ecological amplitude or occurring in habitats covering a large portion of the park.
Common:
Animals: May be seen daily, in suitable habitat and season, but not in large numbers.
Plants: Large numbers of individuals predictably occurring in commonly encountered habitats but not those covering a large portion of the park.
Uncommon:
Animals: Likely to be seen monthly in appropriate habitat and season. May be locally common.
Plants: Few to moderate numbers of individuals; occurring either sporadically in commonly encountered habitats or in uncommon habitats.
Rare:
Animals: Present, but usually seen only a few times each year.
Plants: Few individuals, usually restricted to small areas of rare habitat.
Occasional:
Animals: Occurs in the park at least once every few years, varying in numbers, but not necessarily every year.
Plants: Abundance variable from year to year (e.g., desert plants).
Unknown: Abundance unknown
Nativeness
Native: Species naturally occurs in park or region.
Non-native: Species occurs on park lands as a result of deliberate or accidental human activities.
Unknown: Nativeness status is unknown or ambiguous.
List Differences
The Checklist contains only those species that are designated as "present" or "probably present" in the park.
The Full List includes all the checklist species in addition to species that are unconfirmed, historically detected, or incorrectly reported as being found in the park. The full list also contains species that are "in review" because their status in the park hasn't been fully determined. Additional details about the status of each species is included in the full list.
The checklist will almost always contain fewer species than the full list.
The first lighthouse in the Apostle Islands was built on Michigan Island in 1856, providing a beacon for sailors navigating the water and weather of Lake Superior. In 1929, a taller tower was installed to extend visibility of the Michigan Island light. The periods of use, disuse, and preservation of the Michigan Island Light Station are reflected in the landscape.
Locations:Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Indiana Dunes National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
The presence of microplastics in the marine environment poses risks to wildlife and human health. Learn about a recent microplastics study of national park beaches and what it means for the Great Lakes.
Locations:Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Indiana Dunes National Park, Isle Royale National Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Offices:Regions 3, 4, and 5
Great Lakes Network staff assisted Midwest Region staff in a mapping project that reveals a whole new way of looking at the Great Lakes parks.
Locations:Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Mississippi National River & Recreation Area, Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
Offices:Inventory and Monitoring Division
Bald eagles can tell us a lot about contamination in aquatic systems because they are on top of the food web and fish are their primary prey—a food source they share with humans. From 2006 through 2015, the Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network collected blood and feather samples from bald eagle nestlings to monitor contaminants in three upper Midwest national park units. This resource brief describes the results for just one of those contaminants: lead.
A diatom found in a sediment core collected in 2007 from Apostle Islands National Lakeshore turned out to be a previously unknown species. The new species is one of only three others in the genus Semiorbis. The scientist who found it named it after a now-retired aquatic ecologist with the NPS Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network.
Production of DDT and PCBs was banned in the United States in the 1970s, but they continue to be found in the blood and feathers of bald eagles. What does our monitoring of eagles in three Great Lakes Network parks tell us about these "legacy contaminants"?
Locations:Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Grand Portage National Monument, Isle Royale National Park, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Lake Superior was once thought to be inhospitable to zebra and quagga mussels because of it’s cold water and low calcium levels, yet they have been found in the waters of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in recent investigations. What is the National Park Service doing, and what can you do to help?
