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LANSING--Waterfowl hunters are likely to find the going tough in some areas this fall because of lower Great Lakes
water levels and low stream flows. Around Saginaw Bay, the low water levels have created more marsh in places where there has been open water for several years. And because
Great Lakes water levels usually do not reach their annual low point until mid-winter, hunters will find increasingly
shallower water through the duck hunting season.
Even the state managed wetland areas are likely to be drier than normal this fall. Although wetland managers have been pumping water into the units whenever possible, the lack of
water has hampered these efforts. The Wigwam Bay Wildlife Area and Crow Island State Game Area are likely to be
especially dry. Other areas, including the Shiawassee River State Game Area, Nayanquing Point Wildlife Area and Fish
Point Wildlife Area should have adequate water levels, but some places will be shallower than normal.
Although the decreased water levels will make access to waterfowl more difficult, ducks actually prefer shallower areas, so the lower water levels should not impact the number of ducks in the area. Weather conditions and the timing of waterfowl migration will have a much greater impact.
On the Great Lakes, hunters also should pay special attention to changing weather conditions. For example, on
Saginaw Bay, southwesterly winds can push water out and expose mudflats in just an hour or so forcing boaters to
drag their boats across the mud where they had floated just a few hours earlier. Hunters should note changes in wind direction and velocity to keep from being stranded a half-mile or farther away from shore.
Uploaded: 10/2/1999
Uploaded: 10/2/1999