Construction has begun on a new sea lamprey barrier and trap at the Little Manistee River Weir and egg take facility in Manistee County.
Construction began this week on a new sea lamprey barrier and trap at the Little Manistee River Weir and egg take facility in Manistee County. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will design and build the project in coordination with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The Little Manistee River Weir, which has been in operation since 1968, is Michigan’s primary egg collection site for Chinook salmon and only site for steelhead (rainbow trout) egg take. The weir underwent major renovations in 2019 to upgrade aging infrastructure. This new project will further improve the weir’s function and prevent sea lamprey from infesting 41 miles of the Little Manistee River upstream of the weir.
Sea lamprey — an invasive species that parasitizes other fish in the Great Lakes — migrate upstream in numerous Great Lakes tributaries to spawn. Barriers and traps are two of several means employed by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to control sea lamprey populations; the other primary method of control is dispensing lampricide in streams to target larval lamprey before they metamorphose and migrate out to the lake to feed on fish.
Each sea lamprey is capable of killing up to 40 pounds of fish during its feeding period, making sea lamprey control measures vital to the health of Michigan’s fisheries.
“This new sea lamprey barrier and trap will also significantly improve operations for Chinook salmon and steelhead egg collection. The new design will reduce the risk of weir failure, allow post-spawn steelhead easier movement downstream, and maintain fish passage past the weir when egg collections are complete,” said Scott Heintzelman, DNR Fisheries Division’s Central Lake Michigan Unit manager. “We know this is a popular site for anglers and paddlers, and we will make every effort to minimize the disruption of access due to construction.”
The biggest change to access site operation will be portaging around the facility. The new design extends the length of the weir structure and will remove the artificial berm on the north side of the weir structure. This means paddlers will need to portage around the facility grounds on the south side of the river. New signage and safety features will be added to ensure people are aware of the portage ahead and instructed where to exit the river. The project will not change access for those who begin their float from below the weir.
“We are excited to see this long-awaited work begin on the Little Manistee River and be completed in time to prevent migrating sea lamprey in spring 2026,” said Hannah Bashore, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District technical lead for the project.
The Little Manistee River Weir access site and egg collection facility will remain open to the public this summer and through the Chinook salmon egg collection. Water work activities are planned to be complete prior to egg collection in October, and construction will continue through winter.
Information on specific closure dates of the Little Manistee River Weir access site will be provided on the weir’s hotline, (231) 775-9727, ext. 6072, and online at Michigan.gov/Hatcheries, as necessary.
The Little Manistee River Weir, which has been in operation since 1968, is Michigan’s primary egg collection site for Chinook salmon and only site for steelhead (rainbow trout) egg take. The weir underwent major renovations in 2019 to upgrade aging infrastructure. This new project will further improve the weir’s function and prevent sea lamprey from infesting 41 miles of the Little Manistee River upstream of the weir.
Sea lamprey — an invasive species that parasitizes other fish in the Great Lakes — migrate upstream in numerous Great Lakes tributaries to spawn. Barriers and traps are two of several means employed by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to control sea lamprey populations; the other primary method of control is dispensing lampricide in streams to target larval lamprey before they metamorphose and migrate out to the lake to feed on fish.
Each sea lamprey is capable of killing up to 40 pounds of fish during its feeding period, making sea lamprey control measures vital to the health of Michigan’s fisheries.
“This new sea lamprey barrier and trap will also significantly improve operations for Chinook salmon and steelhead egg collection. The new design will reduce the risk of weir failure, allow post-spawn steelhead easier movement downstream, and maintain fish passage past the weir when egg collections are complete,” said Scott Heintzelman, DNR Fisheries Division’s Central Lake Michigan Unit manager. “We know this is a popular site for anglers and paddlers, and we will make every effort to minimize the disruption of access due to construction.”
The biggest change to access site operation will be portaging around the facility. The new design extends the length of the weir structure and will remove the artificial berm on the north side of the weir structure. This means paddlers will need to portage around the facility grounds on the south side of the river. New signage and safety features will be added to ensure people are aware of the portage ahead and instructed where to exit the river. The project will not change access for those who begin their float from below the weir.
“We are excited to see this long-awaited work begin on the Little Manistee River and be completed in time to prevent migrating sea lamprey in spring 2026,” said Hannah Bashore, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District technical lead for the project.
The Little Manistee River Weir access site and egg collection facility will remain open to the public this summer and through the Chinook salmon egg collection. Water work activities are planned to be complete prior to egg collection in October, and construction will continue through winter.
Information on specific closure dates of the Little Manistee River Weir access site will be provided on the weir’s hotline, (231) 775-9727, ext. 6072, and online at Michigan.gov/Hatcheries, as necessary.
Outdoor Truths
By Gary Miller
Ever since I can remember hunting deer, I have dreaded July and August.
Not because the deer season is not here yet, but because it soon will be. And if I am going to be ready for the cooler mornings of September and the colder days of October and November, I have to force myself into the heat of summer to shoot my bow, put out my cameras, and hang tree stands.
For the past several weeks, the temperatures around here have been in the 90’s with humidity hovering around insanity. I mow my grass 30 minutes before dark and weed eat the next morning at daylight. Every other hour is sweltering. If I do have to work outside during the day, I usually do so in short increments to keep me from dying of heatstroke.
Have I made my point?
Yet, I know if I am going to be able to make an accurate shot, I need to be shooting my bow every day no matter what weather I’m faced with. I’ll do it but I don’t have to like it.
It really is amazing to me that just about everything in life points to one unchangeable principle – you hardly ever reap in the same season as you sow.
In fact, the term itself has been hijacked from the farmer. He knows, like none other, that truth. I imagine it has given him not only wisdom in other areas but patience in them as well. It also has given him a deep awareness of the uncontrollable period between those two seasons where he neither reaps nor sows but simply trusts.
This is the longest season. It is the one that seems to have the most inactivity. It is the one that moves the work of reaping from the hand to the heart and from an aching back to a bended knee.
The lesson to be learned in the principle of reaping and sowing is not only that we need to be careful as to what we sow, but it is to remember that none of our work or our harvest, or our successes, can come without a season where God waters the seeds we have planted.
It is and always has been His way of saying that our life’s work is a partnership with Him, and that sometimes our job is to put our hand on the plow of trust and let God do the work that only He can do.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 22 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
Ever since I can remember hunting deer, I have dreaded July and August.
Not because the deer season is not here yet, but because it soon will be. And if I am going to be ready for the cooler mornings of September and the colder days of October and November, I have to force myself into the heat of summer to shoot my bow, put out my cameras, and hang tree stands.
For the past several weeks, the temperatures around here have been in the 90’s with humidity hovering around insanity. I mow my grass 30 minutes before dark and weed eat the next morning at daylight. Every other hour is sweltering. If I do have to work outside during the day, I usually do so in short increments to keep me from dying of heatstroke.
Have I made my point?
Yet, I know if I am going to be able to make an accurate shot, I need to be shooting my bow every day no matter what weather I’m faced with. I’ll do it but I don’t have to like it.
It really is amazing to me that just about everything in life points to one unchangeable principle – you hardly ever reap in the same season as you sow.
In fact, the term itself has been hijacked from the farmer. He knows, like none other, that truth. I imagine it has given him not only wisdom in other areas but patience in them as well. It also has given him a deep awareness of the uncontrollable period between those two seasons where he neither reaps nor sows but simply trusts.
This is the longest season. It is the one that seems to have the most inactivity. It is the one that moves the work of reaping from the hand to the heart and from an aching back to a bended knee.
The lesson to be learned in the principle of reaping and sowing is not only that we need to be careful as to what we sow, but it is to remember that none of our work or our harvest, or our successes, can come without a season where God waters the seeds we have planted.
It is and always has been His way of saying that our life’s work is a partnership with Him, and that sometimes our job is to put our hand on the plow of trust and let God do the work that only He can do.
—————
Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 22 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Write to him at gary@outdoortruths.org.
Reduce Maintenance and Boost Your Garden Enjoyment
A Pearl Crescent butterfly on a firefly petunia.
Photo credit MelindaMyers.com
By Melinda Myers
Every gardener has personal reasons for gardening whether it be the hope that their garden brings joy, productivity, beauty, or peace throughout the growing season. Embrace what makes you happy as you tend, view, and enjoy every aspect of your garden.
Weather, busy schedules, and life in general can interfere with the best laid plans for any garden and landscape. Take some time now to evaluate what is working so you can do more of that and decide what needs changing in your garden plantings, designs, and maintenance.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the maintenance but still want seasonal interest, consider filling garden beds with shrubs. Look for low maintenance varieties suited to your growing conditions and climate. Select those with multiple seasons of beauty from flowers, foliage, fall color, and interesting form and bark. Include some that provide birds with food, shelter, and protection from predators. You’ll appreciate the beauty and motion these winged visitors provide.
Consider using fewer species of low-maintenance perennials and more of each. You’ll have fewer plants to try to identify as the garden comes to life in spring and as you weed throughout the growing season. Look for those that are disease and insect-pest resistant, need minimal or no deadheading and pruning, and attract and support pollinators as well as provide winter interest and food for songbirds in the winter.
Then add season-long color with pockets or containers of annuals. With fewer to buy and maintain you may decide your schedule and budget will allow you to change them out as the seasons change.
Accept and embrace the beauty of a less-than-perfect garden. Most visitors won’t notice the imperfections unless you point them out. Plus, faded flowers and seed pods can provide unique texture and food for songbirds.
Do minimal cleanup that is better for the plants, pollinators and songbirds. Do remove or cut back diseased and insect-infested plant material as needed. Leave fall leaves in the garden to serve as mulch, a home for some beneficial insects, and insulation for toads, queen bumblebees, and others that overwinter underground. Allow perennials to stand for winter, increasing hardiness, providing homes for beneficial insects, food for songbirds, and adding winter interest. Leave some of these stems standing throughout the upcoming growing season to serve as homes for some of the native bees.
Ask for or hire help if needed. As much as you love gardening, securing help for some of the larger tasks or those that just aren’t getting done can help boost your enjoyment. It can be hard to find gardening help so you may need to get creative. Consider sharing your gardening space with someone who loves to garden but lacks a garden. Barter your knowledge and skills for help in your garden. Or plan a round robin of fun and gardening with a few friends. Take turns visiting and tending each other’s gardens. You’ll enjoy the time spent together in each other’s gardens as you tackle a gardening task or two. Then top off the visit with a favorite beverage and snack or meal.
Don’t let your list of unaccomplished tasks or weeds stop you from enjoying your garden and what you have accomplished. Relish every bloom, fresh tomato, or visiting bird or butterfly.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Every gardener has personal reasons for gardening whether it be the hope that their garden brings joy, productivity, beauty, or peace throughout the growing season. Embrace what makes you happy as you tend, view, and enjoy every aspect of your garden.
Weather, busy schedules, and life in general can interfere with the best laid plans for any garden and landscape. Take some time now to evaluate what is working so you can do more of that and decide what needs changing in your garden plantings, designs, and maintenance.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the maintenance but still want seasonal interest, consider filling garden beds with shrubs. Look for low maintenance varieties suited to your growing conditions and climate. Select those with multiple seasons of beauty from flowers, foliage, fall color, and interesting form and bark. Include some that provide birds with food, shelter, and protection from predators. You’ll appreciate the beauty and motion these winged visitors provide.
Consider using fewer species of low-maintenance perennials and more of each. You’ll have fewer plants to try to identify as the garden comes to life in spring and as you weed throughout the growing season. Look for those that are disease and insect-pest resistant, need minimal or no deadheading and pruning, and attract and support pollinators as well as provide winter interest and food for songbirds in the winter.
Then add season-long color with pockets or containers of annuals. With fewer to buy and maintain you may decide your schedule and budget will allow you to change them out as the seasons change.
Accept and embrace the beauty of a less-than-perfect garden. Most visitors won’t notice the imperfections unless you point them out. Plus, faded flowers and seed pods can provide unique texture and food for songbirds.
Do minimal cleanup that is better for the plants, pollinators and songbirds. Do remove or cut back diseased and insect-infested plant material as needed. Leave fall leaves in the garden to serve as mulch, a home for some beneficial insects, and insulation for toads, queen bumblebees, and others that overwinter underground. Allow perennials to stand for winter, increasing hardiness, providing homes for beneficial insects, food for songbirds, and adding winter interest. Leave some of these stems standing throughout the upcoming growing season to serve as homes for some of the native bees.
Ask for or hire help if needed. As much as you love gardening, securing help for some of the larger tasks or those that just aren’t getting done can help boost your enjoyment. It can be hard to find gardening help so you may need to get creative. Consider sharing your gardening space with someone who loves to garden but lacks a garden. Barter your knowledge and skills for help in your garden. Or plan a round robin of fun and gardening with a few friends. Take turns visiting and tending each other’s gardens. You’ll enjoy the time spent together in each other’s gardens as you tackle a gardening task or two. Then top off the visit with a favorite beverage and snack or meal.
Don’t let your list of unaccomplished tasks or weeds stop you from enjoying your garden and what you have accomplished. Relish every bloom, fresh tomato, or visiting bird or butterfly.
—————
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.
Fishing Featureless and Muddy Lakes
Rich hauled in a double of gills.
Photo courtesy Jack Payne
Photo courtesy Jack Payne
By Jack Payne
Recently we fished a shallow tea-colored lake. This lake was shallow, with a maximum depth of 16 feet. It was more like a mini-reservoir than a lake. The visibility was minimal, as compared to our deeper and clearer lakes that we often fish.
This got me to thinking, which can be troublesome in itself. We have three very dark-colored lakes. And in each case, weed growth is nearly nonexistent. What weeds that we find are in very shallow water.
On our clear water lakes, we have a thermocline between 18 to 20 feet. On the dark-colored waters, we find the thermocline 10 to 14 feet down. On this particular lake we were fishing there was no thermocline.
The fish were nose to the bottom. The best depth was between 12 and 16 feet of water. Two of our dirty-colored lakes that we fish, the fish will be found 8-12 feet down.
While I prefer a cleaner body of water, I enjoy catching fish, period. In most cases we fish differently than the clear lakes. On the particular shallow lake mentioned earlier, we drifted slowly.
Our baits had to be within six inches of the bottom. Anything higher resulted in fewer fish. As is the case when we drift, we usually have one rod in the rod holder and we cast with a second rod. We have either a small soft glow egg/bead or glow colored flies. “If it doesn’t glow, it doesn’t go” is our motto. Glow works great in dark waters.
The stationary rod was rigged up with perch flies and rubber spiders. We tipped these baits with one inch of a worm. In place of a sinker, we added a Hali jig.
We also like casting a small teardrop with a Bully Spider. In this scenario, we add a very small split shot. The goal is a very slow fall. Give this a try sometime.
Our casting rods were rigged mainly with a small spinner. The Charlie Brewer Crappie Bee is a good choice as would a small pony head-style jig. The spinner blade throws off some flash and vibration, which is important is dirty water. We reel these baits in very slowly. We use a 1/32-ounce or possibly a 1/16-ounce jig.
Bass and crappie readily hit these small spinners. If targeting just bass, then we would go with a safety spin-style spinner.
Trolling was our primary technique on dark or stained waters. It still is on the slightly deeper lakes that we fish. We tie up a small mini crawler harness rig using two size 8 hooks spaced one inch apart. This is our go-to bluegill trolling set-up. We troll between a half-mile an hour up to one mile an hour. A small sinker is required. The weight of the sinker is determined by the speed you are going and how far down that you want the spinner to be. Trolling small spinners is a fun way to fish and should be tried a few times each summer.
Trolling for the crappies we use a combination of spinners and small crankbaits. Few anglers troll these baits for crappie. Out best trolling speed is around one mile per hour but we have gone as fast as 1.5 miles per hour. The key is in covering water.
Many times, the fish will be spread about horizontally as compared to vertically in a clear lake. We add a six-inch Church planner board when running more than four rods.
My favorite bass and pike lure would be tandem blade spinner. We experiment with various blades. Some days a willow leaf is best and other days the Indiana blade is better. Use a quality blade that throws off a lot of flash.
During the summer you can become fairly aggressive with a spinner. The pike and bass have no problem hammering a spinner that is ripped thru the water column. The vibration makes a big difference.
Give a dark-colored watered lake a chance. There are plenty of fish in these lakes. And remember to stop in at Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop.
Recently we fished a shallow tea-colored lake. This lake was shallow, with a maximum depth of 16 feet. It was more like a mini-reservoir than a lake. The visibility was minimal, as compared to our deeper and clearer lakes that we often fish.
This got me to thinking, which can be troublesome in itself. We have three very dark-colored lakes. And in each case, weed growth is nearly nonexistent. What weeds that we find are in very shallow water.
On our clear water lakes, we have a thermocline between 18 to 20 feet. On the dark-colored waters, we find the thermocline 10 to 14 feet down. On this particular lake we were fishing there was no thermocline.
The fish were nose to the bottom. The best depth was between 12 and 16 feet of water. Two of our dirty-colored lakes that we fish, the fish will be found 8-12 feet down.
While I prefer a cleaner body of water, I enjoy catching fish, period. In most cases we fish differently than the clear lakes. On the particular shallow lake mentioned earlier, we drifted slowly.
Our baits had to be within six inches of the bottom. Anything higher resulted in fewer fish. As is the case when we drift, we usually have one rod in the rod holder and we cast with a second rod. We have either a small soft glow egg/bead or glow colored flies. “If it doesn’t glow, it doesn’t go” is our motto. Glow works great in dark waters.
The stationary rod was rigged up with perch flies and rubber spiders. We tipped these baits with one inch of a worm. In place of a sinker, we added a Hali jig.
We also like casting a small teardrop with a Bully Spider. In this scenario, we add a very small split shot. The goal is a very slow fall. Give this a try sometime.
Our casting rods were rigged mainly with a small spinner. The Charlie Brewer Crappie Bee is a good choice as would a small pony head-style jig. The spinner blade throws off some flash and vibration, which is important is dirty water. We reel these baits in very slowly. We use a 1/32-ounce or possibly a 1/16-ounce jig.
Bass and crappie readily hit these small spinners. If targeting just bass, then we would go with a safety spin-style spinner.
Trolling was our primary technique on dark or stained waters. It still is on the slightly deeper lakes that we fish. We tie up a small mini crawler harness rig using two size 8 hooks spaced one inch apart. This is our go-to bluegill trolling set-up. We troll between a half-mile an hour up to one mile an hour. A small sinker is required. The weight of the sinker is determined by the speed you are going and how far down that you want the spinner to be. Trolling small spinners is a fun way to fish and should be tried a few times each summer.
Trolling for the crappies we use a combination of spinners and small crankbaits. Few anglers troll these baits for crappie. Out best trolling speed is around one mile per hour but we have gone as fast as 1.5 miles per hour. The key is in covering water.
Many times, the fish will be spread about horizontally as compared to vertically in a clear lake. We add a six-inch Church planner board when running more than four rods.
My favorite bass and pike lure would be tandem blade spinner. We experiment with various blades. Some days a willow leaf is best and other days the Indiana blade is better. Use a quality blade that throws off a lot of flash.
During the summer you can become fairly aggressive with a spinner. The pike and bass have no problem hammering a spinner that is ripped thru the water column. The vibration makes a big difference.
Give a dark-colored watered lake a chance. There are plenty of fish in these lakes. And remember to stop in at Bob’s Gun and Tackle Shop.
DNR Surplus Land Available at Online Auctions
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is busy preparing 126 properties for sale via online auctions later this summer. River frontage, lake frontage and forested acreage surrounded by private ownership – these characteristics describe some of the parcels that will be available in August and early September.
It may seem counter-intuitive that the DNR should make any land available for sale, but it’s important to note that the public benefit of some properties is severely limited due to factors such as lack of legal public access, size limitations that prevent appropriate public use, and development on adjacent privately owned land that impacts public use such as hunting.
Further, the proceeds from surplus-land sales are deposited into the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund and specifically used to acquire replacement properties that are usable by the public, protect important natural resources and provide accessible, quality recreation opportunities.
For all of those reasons, the DNR determines some properties to be more suitable for private ownership.
These surplus land sales are a regular part of the DNR’s public land strategy (one supported and further defined by the Michigan Legislature with the passage of Public Act 240 in 2018). And since such parcels were determined to be better suited for private ownership, they could prove to be the perfect fit for the right owners.
Scott Whitcomb, director of the DNR’s Office of Public Lands, said that parcels selected for public auction don’t make it there without first having gone through an extensive review process.
“State forests, state parks, wildlife areas, trails and more, the DNR manages approximately 4.6 million acres of public land on behalf of the people of Michigan,” Whitcomb said. “These lands are used for a variety of recreation activities and also support the state's economy through tourism, the timber industry and job creation.”
Whitcomb stressed how critical it is for the department to be strategic in that effort.
“More than half of the land the DNR manages came to the state due to owners’ nonpayment of taxes, so those parcels were not ones we purposefully sought out and purchased,” he said. “Our land review process is effective in pointing out parcels that don’t fit the department mission to balance conservation, recreation and economic development.
“Before parcels ever get to public auction – a management tool the department has used for several decades – we’ve already evaluated all other options, whether it’s a land exchange for land that’s a better fit, or perhaps a situation where it makes more sense for another governmental agency or conservation group to hold the property.”
Such land exchanges yield meaningful additions to the DNR's public land portfolio, which results in better outdoor recreation and conservation outcomes. Since January 2020, more than 80 parcels totaling over 6,500 acres were purchased (through the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund or an LEFF subfund) for public benefit.
This year, land is available throughout Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in the following counties: Alger, Allegan, Barry, Genesee, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Kent, Lake, Lapeer, Luce, Manistee, Marquette, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Schoolcraft, Washtenaw and Wexford.
Eleven online auctions are scheduled and will feature land parcels by county, starting Aug. 1 and concluding Sept. 5:
• Friday, Aug. 1 – Kent and Oceana counties.
• Monday, Aug. 4 – Grand Traverse, Lake, Manistee and Wexford counties.
• Thursday, Aug. 7 – Lapeer County.
• Monday, Aug. 18 – Alger, Luce and Schoolcraft counties.
• Tuesday, Aug. 19 – Gogebic and Marquette counties.
• Thursday, Aug. 21 – Washtenaw County.
• Friday, Aug. 22 – Mecosta, Midland and Newaygo counties.
• Tuesday, Aug. 26 – Barry County.
• Wednesday, Aug. 27 – Allegan County.
• Thursday, Aug. 28 – Ogemaw, Missaukee and Montmorency counties.
• Friday, Sept. 5 – Genesee County.
Interested bidders may preregister and get more information about the online auction schedule at tax-sale.info. Anyone who plans to bid on a property must register before the property’s auction date. Absentee bids can be made up to 30 days before an auction.
The “interactive” bidding portion of an auction will open at 10 a.m. on that auction date. At that time, bidders will be able to see current high bids for each property. Bidders can continue to place bids on a property until 7 p.m. when bidding closes and the winning bidder is determined.
Get a detailed property list including minimum bid, acreage, maps and location information at Michigan.gov/LandForSale.
Properties for sale range in size from less than an acre to 200 acres. Many of the surplus properties highlighted in the auction are in Allegan, Lake, Newaygo, Schoolcraft and Wexford counties. There are more than 15 properties available that are 40 acres or larger, mostly throughout the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula.
Notable waterfront properties that are accessible in the Lower Peninsula include a Barry County property with frontage on Long Lake (Lot #10048), an island in Genesee County in Lake Ponemah (Lot #10049), a Montmorency County property with frontage on the Thunder Bay River (Lot #10076) and two properties in Wexford County on Lake Mitchell (Lot #10124) and Pleasant Lake (Lot #10127).
Some large-acreage properties that are accessible include an 80-acre property in Oceana County along West Jefferson Road (Lot #10099), a 43-acre-plus Grand Traverse County property along Hoosier Valley Road (Lot #10051), a 20-acre parcel in Allegan County on 105th Avenue (Lot #10046) and a 94-acre-plus property in Montmorency County along M-32 (Lot #10077).
Many of the sale parcels are forested and/or have road or river frontage but are better suited for private ownership. Much of the land offered in these auctions is isolated from other DNR-managed property, which creates some management challenges, while other parcels are included because they offer limited public recreation benefits.
Most of the properties included in the auction were designated as surplus properties during the DNR’s state land review. In fact, 98 percent of the parcels offered at auction this year were part of that review process, which aims to examine isolated state-managed parcels that are 200 acres or smaller with a substantial private-public boundary.
Certain properties, such as boating access sites and designated trails, were removed from the review because they have been confirmed to contribute to the department’s mission. The review process was conducted on a county-by-county basis throughout the entire state.
Separate from the online auctions, the DNR is offering additional properties (listed for sale at their former minimum bid prices) that were not sold in previous auctions. These properties are available for immediate purchase only via the BuyNow list at www2.dnr.state.mi.us/landsale/ParcelListWithMaps.aspx.
For more information about the sale of surplus, state-managed public land, contact Michael Michalek, resource specialist in the DNR's Real Estate Section, at MichalekM1@Michigan.gov or (517) 331-8387.
Auction proceeds will help provide future outdoor recreation opportunities in keeping with the DNR’s mission to conserve, protect and manage the state’s natural and cultural resources for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations
It may seem counter-intuitive that the DNR should make any land available for sale, but it’s important to note that the public benefit of some properties is severely limited due to factors such as lack of legal public access, size limitations that prevent appropriate public use, and development on adjacent privately owned land that impacts public use such as hunting.
Further, the proceeds from surplus-land sales are deposited into the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund and specifically used to acquire replacement properties that are usable by the public, protect important natural resources and provide accessible, quality recreation opportunities.
For all of those reasons, the DNR determines some properties to be more suitable for private ownership.
These surplus land sales are a regular part of the DNR’s public land strategy (one supported and further defined by the Michigan Legislature with the passage of Public Act 240 in 2018). And since such parcels were determined to be better suited for private ownership, they could prove to be the perfect fit for the right owners.
Scott Whitcomb, director of the DNR’s Office of Public Lands, said that parcels selected for public auction don’t make it there without first having gone through an extensive review process.
“State forests, state parks, wildlife areas, trails and more, the DNR manages approximately 4.6 million acres of public land on behalf of the people of Michigan,” Whitcomb said. “These lands are used for a variety of recreation activities and also support the state's economy through tourism, the timber industry and job creation.”
Whitcomb stressed how critical it is for the department to be strategic in that effort.
“More than half of the land the DNR manages came to the state due to owners’ nonpayment of taxes, so those parcels were not ones we purposefully sought out and purchased,” he said. “Our land review process is effective in pointing out parcels that don’t fit the department mission to balance conservation, recreation and economic development.
“Before parcels ever get to public auction – a management tool the department has used for several decades – we’ve already evaluated all other options, whether it’s a land exchange for land that’s a better fit, or perhaps a situation where it makes more sense for another governmental agency or conservation group to hold the property.”
Such land exchanges yield meaningful additions to the DNR's public land portfolio, which results in better outdoor recreation and conservation outcomes. Since January 2020, more than 80 parcels totaling over 6,500 acres were purchased (through the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund or an LEFF subfund) for public benefit.
This year, land is available throughout Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in the following counties: Alger, Allegan, Barry, Genesee, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Kent, Lake, Lapeer, Luce, Manistee, Marquette, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Schoolcraft, Washtenaw and Wexford.
Eleven online auctions are scheduled and will feature land parcels by county, starting Aug. 1 and concluding Sept. 5:
• Friday, Aug. 1 – Kent and Oceana counties.
• Monday, Aug. 4 – Grand Traverse, Lake, Manistee and Wexford counties.
• Thursday, Aug. 7 – Lapeer County.
• Monday, Aug. 18 – Alger, Luce and Schoolcraft counties.
• Tuesday, Aug. 19 – Gogebic and Marquette counties.
• Thursday, Aug. 21 – Washtenaw County.
• Friday, Aug. 22 – Mecosta, Midland and Newaygo counties.
• Tuesday, Aug. 26 – Barry County.
• Wednesday, Aug. 27 – Allegan County.
• Thursday, Aug. 28 – Ogemaw, Missaukee and Montmorency counties.
• Friday, Sept. 5 – Genesee County.
Interested bidders may preregister and get more information about the online auction schedule at tax-sale.info. Anyone who plans to bid on a property must register before the property’s auction date. Absentee bids can be made up to 30 days before an auction.
The “interactive” bidding portion of an auction will open at 10 a.m. on that auction date. At that time, bidders will be able to see current high bids for each property. Bidders can continue to place bids on a property until 7 p.m. when bidding closes and the winning bidder is determined.
Get a detailed property list including minimum bid, acreage, maps and location information at Michigan.gov/LandForSale.
Properties for sale range in size from less than an acre to 200 acres. Many of the surplus properties highlighted in the auction are in Allegan, Lake, Newaygo, Schoolcraft and Wexford counties. There are more than 15 properties available that are 40 acres or larger, mostly throughout the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula.
Notable waterfront properties that are accessible in the Lower Peninsula include a Barry County property with frontage on Long Lake (Lot #10048), an island in Genesee County in Lake Ponemah (Lot #10049), a Montmorency County property with frontage on the Thunder Bay River (Lot #10076) and two properties in Wexford County on Lake Mitchell (Lot #10124) and Pleasant Lake (Lot #10127).
Some large-acreage properties that are accessible include an 80-acre property in Oceana County along West Jefferson Road (Lot #10099), a 43-acre-plus Grand Traverse County property along Hoosier Valley Road (Lot #10051), a 20-acre parcel in Allegan County on 105th Avenue (Lot #10046) and a 94-acre-plus property in Montmorency County along M-32 (Lot #10077).
Many of the sale parcels are forested and/or have road or river frontage but are better suited for private ownership. Much of the land offered in these auctions is isolated from other DNR-managed property, which creates some management challenges, while other parcels are included because they offer limited public recreation benefits.
Most of the properties included in the auction were designated as surplus properties during the DNR’s state land review. In fact, 98 percent of the parcels offered at auction this year were part of that review process, which aims to examine isolated state-managed parcels that are 200 acres or smaller with a substantial private-public boundary.
Certain properties, such as boating access sites and designated trails, were removed from the review because they have been confirmed to contribute to the department’s mission. The review process was conducted on a county-by-county basis throughout the entire state.
Separate from the online auctions, the DNR is offering additional properties (listed for sale at their former minimum bid prices) that were not sold in previous auctions. These properties are available for immediate purchase only via the BuyNow list at www2.dnr.state.mi.us/landsale/ParcelListWithMaps.aspx.
For more information about the sale of surplus, state-managed public land, contact Michael Michalek, resource specialist in the DNR's Real Estate Section, at MichalekM1@Michigan.gov or (517) 331-8387.
Auction proceeds will help provide future outdoor recreation opportunities in keeping with the DNR’s mission to conserve, protect and manage the state’s natural and cultural resources for the use and enjoyment of current and future generations
