Status and Trends of the Lake Huron Prey Fish Community Data Release, 1976-2025

The U.S. Geological Survey-Great Lakes Science Center (USGS-GLSC) began annual bottom trawl surveys of the Lake Huron prey fish community in 1976 to provide prey fish data for the Lake Huron fishery management community. The first full bottom trawl survey covering Michigan waters of Lake Huron was conducted in 1976. An integrated acoustics-midwater trawl survey was started by the USGS-GLSC in 2004 to better monitor pelagic species and life stages that were potentially underrepresented in the bottom trawl survey. Data from these surveys are used to quantify relative abundance, species composition, and size/age structure of prey fish in “offshore” waters (depth > 9 m). This data release contains location data, calculated relative abundance, and length and age data.