Michigan waters are threatened by nonnative aquatic invasive plants and animals such as the zebra muscle, round goby, sea lamprey, Eurasian ruffe, Eurasian watermifoil, rusty crayfish, and spiny water flea. These species and others are harmful to recreational fishing and do extensive economic and natural resource damage. Anglers should learn to identify nonnative species they may encounter and take precautions to prevent their spread. These actions include:
1. Removing all visible aquatic plants and animals from your boat, motor, trailer and accessory equipment before leaving the access area.
2. Draining live wells and all water from boats before leaving access area.
3. Power washing boats and trailers wherever possible.
4. Thoroughly drying boats and all equipment for at least 5 days before launching into a different water body.
5. Disposing of live bait and aquatic animals in the trash. Do not release live bait into the water and never use live or dead aquatic invasive animals such as round goby or rusty crayfish as bait.
This information gleamed from the Michigan Fishing Guide