Welcome to ghsteelheaders.com, the official web site of the Grand Haven Steelheaders fishing club. We are committed to safeguarding, promoting, and enhancing the social, environmental, and conservational values of sport fishing in western Michigan.
As a Chapter of the Michigan Steelhead and Salmon Fishermen's Association (MSSFA) our mission is to take part in "educating the general public on improving, preserving and promoting sport fishing in the Great Lakes and their tributary streams and rivers."
To learn more about our chapter, please click here.
Big King Promo Video provided by Daniel Richert
Net Pens are in!!
Reel By the City of Grand Haven Click to view release on Facebook 4/19/2023
Young Salmon, 150,000 are in the Net Pens
Click to view
This Morning, Wednesday April 19th, 75,000 young Salmon from the Wolf Lake Hatchery were delivered to the Grand Haven Net Pens with 75,000 more delivered later this afternoon. Members of the Grand Haven and Grand Rapids Steelheaders along with members of the Grand Haven Coast Guard helped out. The fish will be fed 3 times a day for about the next 2 weeks before being released to head to Lake Michigan. By letting the fish live in the net pens they become accumulated: to the Grand River
Net pens initially allow the juvenile Chinook Salmon to orient to their new environment. They are moved from a safe hatchery environment, loaded on a truck, and then ride down a tube to the receiving river. The initial disorientation makes them vulnerable to seagulls and predatory fish. Stocking in the pens allows the juvenile Chinook Salmon to acclimate to their new environment. Chinook Salmon are often left in the pens for a couple of weeks to imprint to the river they are stocked in. Imprinting helps the salmon remember where they were stocked or hatched, so they will return to that same river when they are adults to spawn. This time also allows them to grow to help increase their chance of survival.
The fish in ‘our’ net pens are held in the nets for 3-4 weeks and fed three times daily. The MDNR fisheries biologist determines the exact release date.
The City of Grand Haven, Grand Haven Steelheaders, Grand Rapids Steelheaders and Grand Haven Custom Molding partner in this endeavor. GHCM provides the use of their SkyTrak to place the net pens in the municipal marina.
