Yellow Perch Population Assessment in Southwestern Lake Michigan July 1, 2014- June 30, 2015

To evaluate yellow perch population demographics and identify factors that continue to limit recruitment our objectives were to: 1) Monitor the age and size structure of adult yellow perch on a seasonal basis, 2) estimate the age and, if possible, sex composition of angler-harvested Dubet al.7yellow perch, 3)determine the relative abundance of demersal age-0 yellow perch and the availability of their macroinvertebrate and zooplankton prey, 4)monitor the abundance and diet of juvenile yellow perchon a seasonal basis, and 5) collect high resolution substrate data in the nearshore with focus on historical yellow perch spawning grounds.Results of this project will help strengthen management strategies for thisimportant sport fish species. These findings will be incorporated into yellow perch management decisionsthroughmulti-agency collaboration, which reflects a changing philosophy in the Great Lakes fisheries from jurisdictional to lake-wide management.