Fish eggs collected in the St. Clair, Detroit, and St. Marys rivers, 2005-2022

A long-term, multiseason, fish egg sampling program is conducted annually on the Detroit, Saint Clair, and Saint Marys rivers to identify where productive fish spawning habitat currently exists and evaluate habitat restoration projects. Egg mats were placed on the river bottom during the spring and fall at historic spawning areas, candidate fish spawning habitat restoration sites, and completed spawning habitat restoration sites throughout the rivers. Widespread evidence was found of lithophilic spawning by numerous native fish species, including walleye (Sander vitreus), lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), suckers (Family: Catostomidae), and trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus). The data describe the number, density, date of collection, and exact collection location of fish eggs collected in the St. Clair (2010-2022), Detroit (2005-2022), and St. Marys rivers (2018-2022).