Celebrating 75 Years of Wisconsin’s Northern Highland Fishery Research Area: The Past, Present, and Future
Greg G. Sass, Stephanie L. Shaw, Kathryn M. Renik
Abstract
Abstract On June 20, 2021, the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area (NHFRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary of continuous fisheries population monitoring and compulsory angler creel census on five lakes in northern Wisconsin. In 1946, five lakes were designated as experimental fisheries research lakes and all anglers have been required to adhere to the compulsory creel census to record catch information. We review the history of the NHFRA, its role in evaluating experimental regulations, how data derived from the NHFRA were paramount in developing a critical Walleye Sander vitreus management plan for a joint tribal subsistence and recreational angling fishery, discuss the NHFRA as a training ground for early career fisheries professionals, and speculate on its future. By learning from the past and adapting to new challenges and emerging fisheries research needs, the NHFRA is poised to add to its 75-year legacy of research and training to inform science-based decision making and to prepare generations of new fisheries professionals. The 75-year history of the NHFRA exemplifies the importance of adaptation, long-term data, establishing sentinel lakes for observations of environmental change, field stations, and partnerships for successful fisheries management.