Water attracted early settlers to Detroit and water fueled its growth. Now it’s an important asset to the city’s recovery. We continue to explore the challenges and opportunities for Detroit’s waterfront in our series “Detroit’s Water Renaissance.”
So far we’ve looked at daylighting streams and rebuilding shorelines. Today, we explore the Detroit River’s fishing industry.
Detroit is known for a lot of things, but one of the most surprising is walleye fishing. Starting in the early spring, intrepid sportsmen descend on the Detroit River in pursuit of trophy-sized walleye that are there to spawn.
Current State contributor Judi Smelser takes us fishing on the river with expert guide Lance Valentine.
Detroit’s Water Renaissance: Detroit’s walleye fishing industry nets millions by Great Lakes Echo
Lance Valentine, owner of Walleye 101, shows off his catch. Photo: Judi Smelser
This story was produced by Current State and Great Lakes Echo with support from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. We continue our series next Tuesday by looking at the impact of Detroit’s industrial past on the Rouge River.
More stories from the Detroit Water Renaissance Series:
Rediscovering Detroit’s lost waterways
New shorelines, old problems on the Detroit River