Estimates are that 84% of Wisconsinites go to a fish fry at least a couple times a year. 42% of Wisconsinites say they enjoy a fish fry at least once a month! That’s big business for restaurants, and big business for the state’s commercial fishing industry.
Tammie Paoli is a DNR Fish Biologist in Marinette County. She says that yellow perch populations in the state are still very robust, but invasive species and competition from other fish varieties still present challenges. The state allows for 100,000 pounds of yellow perch to be harvested commercially. Most of those perch are circulated to local markets in Green Bay, Door County and along the lakeshore. A majority of the perch you might see on your plate elsewhere in the state could have come from Lake Erie! Paoli says Lake Erie has a big commercial fishing industry where they’re harvesting about 6.5 million pounds a year.
