LANSING, MI (AP)-- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is advising anglers to be careful while fishing in the state's rivers and streams this winter.
The department wants to remind anglers that colder temperatures can cause more sudden and significant changes in waterways. Fisheries biologist Kyle Kruger says the effects are most evident when the temperature reaches below 10 degrees and in areas with frigid nighttime temperatures that alternate with warmer days.
He says unpredictable flow changes can occur due to extensive freezing or ice dams when temperatures quickly change from below freezing at night to above freezing during the day.
Kruger says the middle to lower portion of the Au Sable River is particularly susceptible to the influences of cold weather.
The department suggests anglers check river conditions and local weather forecasts before going on winter fishing trips.