Out of State Fishermen Busted For Poaching 460 lbs. of Salmon

Some out-of-state fishermen poached 460 pounds of salmon from one Michigan river and now it's going to cost them.

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Michigan River Salmon Fishing

Most people know the Great Lakes are excellent for salmon fishing but there is a lot of great fishing in the rivers and streams that enter the lakes.

There is nothing like getting a group of fishing buddies together, some waders, and some spawn bags and heading out to a Michigan river or stream and trying your luck for a day of Salmon fishing. If anything, you will at least have some good conversation, spend some time with mother nature, and if all goes well come back with a few fish in the cooler.

The best time to catch these salmon is usually early September through late October. First, you get King Salmon that will come up the rivers, then the Coho Salmon, then the Fall Steelhead make their way up the rivers. The nice thing about the Steelhead is December can be fire and offer up some of the best fishing Michigan has to offer.

Fishermen From Colorado Poached 460 Pounds of Salmon From the Manistee River

I fished the Manistee River for steelhead and that is actually where I caught my first one many years ago. It is a great river for fishing but I do remember the Department of Natural Resources patrolling it heavily. There would be DNR officers coming by the fishermen to check their licenses and fish while others would be up on ridges with binoculars or hiding in the woods watching out for dishonest fishermen. I saw a few guys catch walleye when they were not supposed to and hide them in their waders only to be greeted by the DNR when they got to their cars so I am aware there are some shady fishermen out there.

You can only keep no more than 3 of any one species per day except for 5 Coho, Chinook, or Pink Salman are allowed so even with six guys, 460 pounds of salmon is way over the legal limit.

According to FOX 17, DNR officers were doing their jobs when they nabbed six men from Colorado who tried to make off with nearly 500 pounds of salmon. It's gonna cost each guy $1,100 for fines plus other fees and they are no longer allowed to fish in Michigan.

Aside from the DNR doing a great job, the other piece of good news is all the salmon meat was able to be donated to families in need so not one ounce went to waste.