Torch Lake’s Eat Safe Fish Guide
Did you know?
- Coal burning power plants and incinerators located far away from Torch Lake produce air pollutants that make our fish unsafe to eat.
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The air pollutants fall into the lake and do not break down. Fish take in the toxins through their skin, their gills, and from their food.
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Large fish have had more time to bioaccumulate toxins from contact with polluted water and from eating many small fish. When we eat the large fish, the toxins enter our body and accumulate in our tissues.
- Air pollutants such as PCBs and Dioxins found in the fatty tissue of fish have been linked to cancer, diabetes and other illnesses in people.
- Heavy metals such as Mercury found in the meat tissue of fish can cause damage to the human nervous system– the brain and nerves.
- These toxins do not make you sick after eating just one fish but can lead to illness over time, as the toxins remain in our tissues.
Governments’ Responsibilities
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identifies the safe limits for toxic chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat.
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The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHH) make statewide and lake specific recommendations on safe fish to eat. The current (2018) Michigan Eat Safe Fish Guide for Torch Lake lists eating restrictions on 6 species of fish: lake trout, lake white fish, brown trout, yellow perch, small and large mouth bass.Check the tables below for the fish species and safe serving recommendations under your gender and age.
Torch Lake’s Fish Eating Recommendations
| Torch Lake Fish | Children under 15 years Women 15-45 | Men over 15 years Women over 45 years |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | DO NOT EAT ANY Lake Trout High levels of Dioxin | Do NOT EAT over 28 in. Eat 1-2 per Year fish under 28 in. High levels of Dioxins |
| Lake Whitefish | Eat 1 any size fish per month High levels of Dioxin and PCBs | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Yellow Perch | Under 9 in. 4 servings per month Over 9 in. 2 servings per month High levels of Mercury | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Smallmouth Bass | Under 18 in. 1 serving a month Over 18 in. 6 servings a year High levels of Mercury | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Largemouth Bass | Under 18 in. 1 serving a month Over 18 in. 6 servings a year High levels of Mercury | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Brown Trout | Under 20 in. 2 servings a month Over 20. In. 1 serving a month High levels of Toxaphene and PCBs | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Atlantic Salmon | Fish not included in brochure. | Fish not included in brochure. |
Lake Michigan Fish Eating Recommendations
| Fish caught in Lake Michigan (including Grand Traverse Bay, Little Traverse Bay) | Children under 15 years Women 15-45 | Men over 15 years Women over 45 years |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Trout | Under 24 in. 6 servings a year Over 24 in. DO NOT EAT High levels of dioxin | Under 24 in. 6 servings a year Over 24 in. 1-2 servings a year |
| Whitefish | Any size fish DO NOT EAT High levels of Dioxins and PCBs | 1-2 servings a year |
| Brown Trout | Any size fish DO NOT EAT High levels of PCBs | 1-2 servings a year |
| Carp | DO NOT EAT High levels of PCBs | DO NOT EAT |
| Chinook Salmon | Any size fish 6 servings a year High levels of PCBs | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Coho Salmon | Any size fish 1 serving a month High levels of PCBs | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass | Under 18 in. 2 servings a month Over 18 in. 1 serving a month High levels of Mercury | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Rainbow trout | Under 20 in. 2 servings a month Over 20 in. 6 servings a year High levels of Mercury | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Steelhead trout | Any size fish 6 serving a year High levels of PCBs | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Burbot | Any size fish 1 serving a month High levels of PCBs | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Smelt | Any size 2 servings a month High levels of PCBs | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Steelhead | Any size fish 6 servings a year High levels of PCBs | Same as for Children and Young Women |
| Walleye | Under 18 in. 2 servings a month 18 to 22 in. 6 servings a year Over 22 in. DO NOT EAT High levels of PCBs and in fish under 18 in. Mercury also | Under 18 in. 2 servings a month 18 to 22 in. 6 servings a year Over 22 in. 1-2 servings a year |
| Yellow Perch | Under 10 in. 4 servings a month Over 10 in. 4 servings a month High levels of PCBs and in fish over 10 in. Mercury also | Same as for Children and Young Women |
State of Michigan’s Fish Eating Recommendations
| Michigan Fish | Children under 15 years Women 15-45 | Men over 15 years Women over 45 years |
|---|---|---|
| Bluegill | Eat 8 servings any size fish per month High levels of Mercury | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Muskellunge | Eat 1 serving any size fish per month High levels of Mercury | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Northern Pike | Under 30 in. 2 serving a month Over 30 in. 1 servings a year High levels of Mercury | Same as Children and Young Women |
| Rock Bass | Eat 4 serving any size fish per month High levels of Mercury | Same as Children and Young Women |
Your Responsibilities
- CHECK – MDCH Fish Advisories for Antrim County before you eat fish caught in Torch Lake.
- WARNING – NO ONE Should Eat Lake Trout caught in Torch Lake that is over 28 inches.
- Perfluoroalkyls or PFAs are manmade substances that repel oil, stains and water and are fire resistant. They are used in firefighting foams, stain repellants, nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing and shoes, fast food wrappers and personal care products. Guidelines regarding PFAs in fish is released separately from the Eat Safe Fish Guidelines. Currently, there are no restrictions in Antrim County lakes.
- CLEAN – Remove all visible fat.
- COOK – Grill or broil, so additional fat will burn off and away from fillet.
- SERVING SIZE – The size of an adult’s palm minus the fingers is approximately equal to 4 oz of fish. If you eat twice the allowable size of fish for your weight, it is considered 2 servings, even if it was eaten at one meal.
- FISH PREPARATION AND COOKING – If fish are cleaned to remove fat and grilled or broiled to burn off excess fat, then the serving can be doubled for the month. An * in the MI Serving per Month column in the table above indicates when it is safe to double the servings if the above preparations are followed.
Restaurant Responsibilities
Most restaurant menus will indicate where the fish being served was caught. Ask your waitperson to be certain and use your smart phone to search the Eat Safe Fish listing for that lake’s restrictions.
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