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Up North Lowdown, Ep. 32: Steelhead

Left: Anglers fish for steelhead on the Manistee River below Tippy Dam. (Photo: David Kenyon/Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
Top right: The Steelhead and its five-man crew depart from the harbor in Elk Rapids back to Charlevoix. (Photo: Michael Livingston/IPR News)

This week: A debate among anglers as the state decides how many steelhead they can harvest, and we revisit another Steelhead — the state's first research vessel.

May we ask for a favor?
We'd like you to tell us your name, where you're from, and something you're thankful for in a short voice memo. We're hoping to use some of your recordings in our Thanksgiving week episode.
Record yourself and send the file to ipr@interlochen.org.

Anglers love going after steelhead — beautiful rainbow trout that put up a pretty good fight when they're hooked.

But population declines sparked worry among some that the species was being overfished. This week, Michigan's Natural Resources Commission voted to reduce the harvest limits on a dozen streams.

IPR's Ellie Katz explains what's happening.

Plus, with steelhead (the fish) on the brain, we can't help but revisit an earlier story about the Steelhead (the boat).

The state's first research vessel is wrapping up its career, and we're listening back to Michael Livingston's story about its storied life on Lake Michigan.

Plus, a quick look at how local elections turned out in northern Michigan.

Thanks for listening!

Ed Ronco is IPR's news director.
Max Copeland is the local weekday host of All Things Considered on Interlochen Public Radio and the producer of The Up North Lowdown, IPR’s weekly news podcast.