Lake Michigan: A Calamitous History of Commercial Fishing, 1870-1925

Abstract

This thesis presents information on the formation of the Great Lakes, the American Indian Fishermen of the Lake Michigan Basin, the fish species, nets, and boats vital to the commercial fishing industry, and the calamitous causes behind the industry's implosion. This study investigates the catalysts behind the decline of the commercial fishing enterprise on Lake Michigan by utilizing primary sources including but not limited to, government reports, catch quotas, state fish commission reports, and manuscripts. The topic was selected because the history of Lake Michigan commercial fishing from 1870-1925 has never been thoroughly researched and put into a single volume for examination. Therefore, knowing how Lake Michigan's commercial ecological status once was will provide a historical guidepost for not only policymakers but also for the public, to help promote prudent managing measures for not only the fish but the entire Great Lakes ecosystem.