Smallmouth Bass Post-Tournament Movement in the Chicagoland Area including the Chicago Area Waterway System and Lake Michigan

CBASS

April 2024 - June 2027

Smallmouth bass are a common sportfish targeted by anglers across the Great Lakes region, and they are important predators on both native and invasive fish and invertebrates. In the Chicagoland area (including southern Lake Michigan and parts of the Chicago Area Waterway System – CAWS), smallmouth bass habitat has been drastically altered by shipping, infrastructure projects, and invasive species. Many fishing tournaments held in the Chicago area focus on both smallmouth and largemouth bass, yet little is known about smallmouth bass habitat use in this area or the impact of tournaments on the population. After fishermen catch these prize bass, the fish are typically brought back to a central weigh-in location, weighed, and returned to the water alive. Many fish are not released in locations where they were angled, and may have been moved across barriers (e.g., dams and locks), habitat types (e.g., river vs. lake), and political/ management unit boundaries (i.e., state lines). This project aims to study the post-release movement of tournament caught smallmouth bass in Lake Michigan and the Chicago Area Waterway to understand post-tournament movement. Furthermore, acoustic telemetry will provide insight into seasonal movement and habitat use by smallmouth bass, as tags are expected to last well beyond post-tournament recovery of fish.

• Determine the timing, duration, direction, and distance of post-tournament movement by smallmouth bass.
• Determine the degree and direction of movement across state boundaries and past barriers (e.g., dams and locks) by smallmouth bass.
• Describe seasonal movement and quantify broad- and intermediate-scale habitat use (e.g., Lake Michigan vs. Calumet River) by smallmouth bass throughout the year.

• Enhanced understanding of the smallmouth bass population in southern Lake Michigan and connected waterways.
• Understanding the scope of cross-border movement by smallmouth bass, and the impacts of tournaments in moving fish across state lines.
• Information that can be used to develop best practices for tournaments that can be recommended by managers.
• Identification of important habitats and the seasons during which smallmouth bass use them, which can help justify habitat protection or guide the timing of dredging and construction work.

• Scot Peterson (University of Illinois - Illinois Natural History Survey- Lake Michigan Biological Station) - scotpete@illinois.edu
• Charles Roswell (University Of Illinois - Illinois Natural History Survey- Lake Michigan Biological Station)
• Amber Schmidt (University Of Illinois - Illinois Natural History Survey- Lake Michigan Biological Station)
• Sergiusz Czesny (University Of Illinois - Illinois Natural History Survey- Lake Michigan Biological Station)
• Suski Cory (University Of Illinois - Illinois Natural History Survey- Lake Michigan Biological Station)

• - Lake Michigan Biological Station
• - Illinois Natural History Survey
• - Prairie Research Institute
• - Illinois Department of Natural Resources
• University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign

• - Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration

https://lake-michigan.inhs.illinois.edu/current-projects/