So Long to the Chubs

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and particularly Dan Egan, have done fantastic work over the past several years investigating the changing ecology of Lake Michigan. On Wednesday, reporter Karen Herzog produced this piece about the rapidly dwindling chub population in the lake.

The zebra mussel invasion has choked the traditional favorite out, and Herzog details how it’s affecting fishermen, the lake, and holiday eating habits. The article ends with this ominous note from a longtime fisherman:

About five years ago, he began noticing fewer chubs, “But you didn’t think anything of it because it always cycled.”

Unfortunately, the chubs haven’t cycled back. Nelson still fishes for chubs 12 to 25 miles offshore. But the other day, he only brought in about 150 pounds.

“When I lift the net, I get a blanket of zebra mussels – more mussels than chubs,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a dead lake before long.”