Round Goby — Michigan Fishing
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Round Goby ⚠ Invasive

🔬 Neogobius melanostomus

A small, aggressive bottom-dwelling fish from the Black and Caspian Sea region, introduced via ballast water around 1990. Frog-like appearance with bulging eyes and a distinctive fused pelvic fin (suction disc) used to cling to rocks in current. Now one of the most abundant fish in the Great Lakes. Has fundamentally altered Great Lakes food webs -- both devastating to native species and now an important food source for smallmouth bass, lake trout, and brown trout.

0.1-0.5 lb, 4-10 inches
Typical size
Year-round
Best season
13
Listed lakes

🛡 Conservation Status

⚠ Invasive Arrived in Great Lakes ballast water circa 1990 from the Ponto-Caspian region. Now the most abundant fish on rocky Great Lakes bottom. Eats eggs and young of lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, and native bottom fish. Displaces native sculpin and logperch. However, has become critical forage for recovering lake trout and trophy smallmouth bass. Illegal to use as live bait or transport live in Michigan.

🌿 Habitat & Behavior

Rocky and sandy bottoms in all Great Lakes and connecting rivers. Spreading into inland Michigan waters via connected river systems and illegal bait releases. Displaces native sculpins, darters, and logperch from rocky habitat.

🎣 Best Techniques

Small tube jigs and drop-shot rigs on bottom in Great Lakes and river habitats. Illegal to use as live bait in Michigan. Any round goby caught must be killed -- do not return to water.

🌊 Where to Catch in Michigan

Lake County Population Notes
Burt Lake
17,120 acres
 Cheboygan Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Charlevoix Lake
17,260 acres
 Charlevoix Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Cheboygan Lake
640 acres
 Cheboygan Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Douglas Lake
3,400 acres
 Cheboygan Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Duck Lake
490 acres
 Muskegon Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Indian Lake
8,689 acres
 Schoolcraft Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Lake Gogebic
13,380 acres
 Gogebic Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Lake Michigamme
4,149 acres
 Marquette Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Lake St. Clair
260,000 acres
 Macomb Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Manistee Lake
930 acres
 Manistee Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Mullett Lake
16,630 acres
 Cheboygan Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Muskegon Lake
4,150 acres
 Muskegon Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait
Muskegon Lake
4,150 acres
 Muskegon Good Invasive -- must be killed, cannot be used as live bait


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📋 Quick Facts

🔗 Resources

📖 DNR Sport Fishing Guide 📋 DNR Stocking Database 🐟 All Fish Species 🎣 MDNR Sport Fishing 🔬 MDNR Fish ID Guide 🎣 Log a catch