Smaller streams can be great locations to spot these fish, because they mostly ignore people when spawning is on their minds. However, small suckers are important food sources for many predator species and have a vital ecological role in our food webs. Suckers get a bad rap from anglers and the public because of the misconceptions that they eat sportfish eggs and compete with desirable species. Sucker migrations are ecologically important, especially to smaller headwater streams, which benefit from the nutrients and energy inside the suckers as they move from the Great Lakes deep into watersheds. They congregate in large groups and create the next generation of fish. As water temperatures warm, white and longnose suckers feel the need to move from the Great Lakes into tributaries. Spring is the right time to head to your local stream to see the migration and spawning of Great Lakes sucker species. Image credit: Titus Seilheimerīy Titus Seilheimer, Wisconsin Sea Grant Fisheries Outreach Specialist White suckers migrate up Silver Creek in Manitowoc to spawn.
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