Michigan Smelt: How To Dip, Predict, And Bite Heads For Luck

If you grew up in Michigan, you either have fond memories of smelt dipping or you remember being tired, wet, cold, and underdressed while adults yelled "SCOOP FASTER" like their lives depended on it.

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Smelt, or if you want to get fancy, Osmerus mordax, are shimmering little fish that look like they belong in a glitter pen. According to Michigan.gov, they were first stocked in Crystal Lake in the northwest, from which they eventually migrated into Lake Michigan. Why? To feed the Atlantic salmon that were stocked there to survive. They didn't, but the smelt thrived.

Michigan's Smelt Season

Michigan Sea Grant reports that every April, smelt leave the cozy, dark depths of Michigan's lakes and swim into smaller bodies of water to spawn. As to when that will happen, it's all about rainfall and water temperatures.

After a few warm spring rains and once the water temperatures rise to around 42-44°F, the smelt start getting into a 'reproductive' mood.

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These little fish are sensitive to light, but they prefer deeper water habitats; however, they spawn in shallower waters. That said, smelt make their way to spawning grounds in the dark, so get ready for a wet and wild night.

Where to Find Smelt in Michigan

Spawning usually lasts around three weeks, so IF you find them running, grab a net, a bucket, waders, a flashlight, and maybe a life jacket if you're clumsy. As for where they will be, that's like asking someone from Michigan where their morel mushroom hotspot is (you can ask, you might get an answer, and it will likely be a lie).

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Smelt dipping was a Lower Peninsula tradition, but nowadays the Upper Peninsula is your safest bet for finding them. If you're really fancy, you can predict runs using the United States Geological Survey (USGS) real-time water data, or you can listen for the guy running down the street at night yelling, "THEY'RE RUNNING!"

And if dipping isn't your thing, there's also winter hook-and-line smelt fishing on select lakes. Click here for information from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).