The Great Lakes Fishery Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking public feedback on a seasonal sea lamprey barrier in the Upper Peninsula.
The first phase of the project, which replaced undersized culverts with a free-span bridge to reduce streambank erosion and improve fish passage, was completed in fall 2025. The second phase outlines a plan to construct a barrier to block the invasive lamprey from spreading up the Sucker River in Alger County.
Pete Hrodey works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sea lamprey control program in Marquette. He said invasive lamprey have been in the Great Lakes since the early 1900s. Part of its life cycle is a 12- to 18 month-feeding phase during which a single lamprey can kill up to forty pounds of fish.
“They’ve been very successful in invading and occupying Great Lakes habitats,” Hrodey said. “It’s kind of a pest that isn’t going away.”
Hrodey said the barrier would block lamprey from getting into areas where it’s difficult to apply lampricides, making the chemical treatments more effective. “We should be seeing less larval sea lamprey making their way back out into the Great Lakes to prey on fish,” he said.
The proposed barrier would be adjustable so it can be in place during the lamprey's spawning season and retracted the rest of the year.
“The goal of this project is really to ... focus on invasive species control, but also increasing fish passage for desirable species where we can,” Hrodey said. “So really finding win-win projects where everybody is able to walk away with something.”
According to a press release from the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, reducing sea lamprey infestation in this area would redirect resources to manage lamprey populations in other Great Lakes tributaries.
Public comments on the project are open until February 22. Comments should be directed to Pete Hrodey.
Construction on the barrier will likely begin this summer, after reviewing feedback, Hrodey said. The goal is for the second phase to be completed by early fall.
The project is funded by federal, state, and non-profit organizations.
