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Northern Michigan pathways named Pure Michigan Trails

By HEATHER JOHNSON DUROCHER

Trails and resources writer and editor

Parks and Recreation Division

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Two trails in the northern Lower Peninsula are recipients of the 2025 Pure Michigan Trail designation, an annual recognition that spotlights some of the state’s best trail experiences. The Betsie Valley Trail, a 22-mile pathway extending from Frankfort through Elberta and Beulah to Thompsonville in Benzie County, and Chain of Lakes Water Trail, a 100-plus mile inland water trail made up of 12 lakes and interconnected rivers in northwest Michigan, are this year’s Pure Michigan Trail recipients.

The announcement was made during this week’s Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

“The Betsie Valley Trail and Chain of Lakes Water Trail offer exceptional hiking, biking and paddling experiences while also connecting residents and visitors to local communities and businesses,” said Kelly Wolgamott, vice president of Pure Michigan, part of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “Pure Michigan Trails represent the best of Michigan’s trail opportunities, and these extraordinary resources exemplify that designation.”

The Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Town Designation Program is a partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Pure Michigan and is designed to help boost the state’s position as the “Trails State.”

“The Pure Michigan Trail program recognizes Michigan pathways that provide a quality trail experience, whether these trail users are hiking, biking, riding or paddling,” said DNR State Trails Coordinator Tim Novak. “The organizations and dedicated individuals helping maintain these high-quality trails have worked hard to support and advocate for trails and trails users while providing safe, accessible recreational experiences year-round.”

Applicants apply for the designation, with an annual deadline of Jan. 15. Recipients must submit required documentation to the DNR, with recipients receiving recognition in the form of signage with branding placed in appropriate trail locations and inclusion in Pure Michigan trail maps and marketing material.

Some years, the program also designates Pure Michigan Trail Towns. This year, however, recipients include only two specific trails.

“This year’s Pure Michigan Trails have broad community support,” Novak said. “Their respective organizations understand and support the economic and social impacts of trails and how important they are to improving quality of life for residents and visitors. That is why we are proud to designate them as Pure Michigan recipients.”

Pure Michigan Trails promote healthy lifestyles, conserve natural resources and provide a catalyst for economic activity in local communities. Here’s more about this year’s recipients:

Betsie Valley Trail

The Betsie Valley Trail, a rails-to-trails pathway founded in 1992, features a scenic section of the former Ann Arbor Railroad originally running from Toledo to Frankfort-Elberta. Nearby natural areas include the Betsie River, wetlands with exceptional birding, the Pere Marquette State Forest, farm fields, Crystal Lake, turtle ponds, marshland, Lake Michigan beach and lighthouse, and more.

“We were thrilled to hear the news of our Pure Michigan Trail designation! Our group has been dedicated to the development and maintenance of the Betsie Valley Trail since its inception and it’s energizing to learn that our work is being recognized,” said Jim Gribble of Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail. “We’ve seen a large increase in the use of the trail and with our efforts underway to pave the trail between Beulah and Thompsonville we are working to make it even more accessible to all. Thank you for this important recognition.”

Chain of Lakes Water Trail

The Chain of Lakes Water Trail is a collection of 12 interconnected lakes providing more than 100 miles of quality paddling experiences for all levels of paddlers in northern Michigan. Paddlers can travel through a variety of different places from small, quiet lakes to the iconic turquoise waters of Torch Lake, the second largest inland lake in Michigan. The water trail is connected to four communities to enjoy as part of the paddling experience. These include Central Lake, Bellaire, Ellsworth and Elk Rapids.

“Paddle Antrim is honored that the Chain of Lakes Water Trail — which we proudly host and steward in northern Michigan— has been recognized as the first Pure Michigan Water Trail,” said Deana Jerdee, executive director of Paddle Antrim. “This designation celebrates our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, accessible paddling experiences while protecting the health of our cherished waterways. We look forward to continuing our efforts to enhance access, stewardship and safety across the entire Chain of Lakes Water Trail and we invite you to come explore all it has to offer.”

Learn more about Michigan’s thousands of miles of trails, find maps and get details on the Pure Michigan Trail and Trail Towns Designation Program, including past trail and trail town recipients, at Michigan.gov/DNRTrails.

Check out previous Showcasing the DNR stories at Michigan.gov/DNRStories. To subscribe to upcoming Showcasing articles, sign up for free email delivery at Michigan.gov/DNREmail.

Lugnuts, Team Lyders Taco Bell announce Launch-a-Ball to benefit Capital Area Humane Society

LANSING, Mich. – The Lansing Lugnuts and Team Lyders Taco Bell are teaming up to support the Capital Area Humane Society through Launch-A-Ball, launching into Jackson® Field™ during nine select home games throughout the 2025 season.

“At Team Lyders Taco Bell, we’re always looking for ways to bring fun, community, and meaningful impact together,” said Team Lyders Taco Bell Director of Operations Molly Trosko. “Partnering with the Lansing Lugnuts for Launch-a-Ball is the perfect way to do just that—giving fans an exciting, interactive experience while making a real difference.

“We’re especially proud that this season’s Launch-a-Ball will benefit the Capital Area Humane Society, helping provide care and support for animals in need. We can’t wait to see the energy, generosity, and community spirit this brings to the ballpark all season long!”

At the conclusion of each of the nine games – April 23, April 26, May 3, May 15, May 30, June 11, July 30, August 13 and August 27 – fans will be given the opportunity to purchase purple tennis balls to launch at three special on-field targets: two targets that win Lugnuts swag bags and one Grand Prize target for a $100 Lugnuts gift card.

-courtesy story the Lansing Lugnuts

Be the Referee: Fair or Foul?

By Paige Winne

Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.

Below is this week's segment – Fair or Foul? - Listen

A batter hits a line drive down the first base line. The first baseman, about a foot inside the line, leaps at the ball before it passes first base and deflects it into foul territory.

The batter, thinking the ball is foul, lets up and returns to the batter’s box.
The catcher trailing the play picks up the ball and runs over to first and steps on the bag. What’s the call?
Because the ball was over fair territory when touched by the first baseman, it doesn’t matter where the deflected ball lands – it’s a fair ball, a live ball. The out stands, as the catcher touched first base with the ball before the batter got to the base.

On plays like this, it’s incumbent on the umpires to make a clear signal to leave no doubt that the ball is live.

-courtesy of the MHSAA

Fishing Report Week of 4_21

Southeast Lower Peninsula

Lower Saginaw Bay: Walleye anglers reported that fishing during the morning seemed to yield the best results, but overall fishing was slow. Anglers were trolling with crankbaits in 15 to 18 feet of water out in front of Linwood as well as in 23 feet of water by the Sparkplug. A few walleye were caught at the mouth of the Saginaw River when jigging plastic and natural baits.

Saginaw River: Walleye anglers reported decent fishing along the Saginaw River, with several walleye caught by shore anglers at Veterans Memorial Park in Bay City. Elsewhere, walleye were caught by boat anglers jigging upstream of Zilwaukee around the tugboat, at the I-675 bridge, and downstream of Center Street bridge. Anglers were mostly using lead head jigs with twister tails or paddle tails. A few anglers were also tipping them with a minnow. Catches of 3 to 5 per boat were common. More recently, high winds and intermittent rain showers reduced the water clarity, making the river turbid and fishing more challenging.

Eastern Saginaw Bay: Windy conditions limited angling activity along the east side of the bay. Those targeting walleye out from Quanicassee reported very slow fishing with 0 to 2 fish per boat when trolling body baits. Anglers looking for yellow perch from Quanicassee to Caseville also reported slow fishing with most perch caught being too small to keep.

Port Sanilac/Lexington: Anglers reported catching a mix of coho salmon, steelhead, Atlantic salmon, Chinook salmon, and a couple lake trout in 18 to 25 feet of water from south of Lexington and along the shore to the north up to Port Sanilac. Planer boards with a variety of body baits and an occasional spoon were all reported to have caught fish. Pier fishing was reported as slow.

Harbor Beach: Anglers fishing in 25 feet of water reported catching a few coho salmon on boards and body baits.

Lake St. Clair: Fishing was reported to have been very slow on all fronts. Walleye anglers fishing the mouth of the Detroit River and beyond reported no success. Many smallmouth bass anglers reported no success. However, a few anglers were able to catch a couple in around 6 to 9 feet of water between Memorial Park and 9 mile during the late morning and early afternoon. Other anglers were trolling in the channel in 15 to 16 feet of water with crankbaits picking up some smallmouth. As temperatures begin to rise, look for smallmouth action to pick up. If the sun is strong, shallow water may warm up enough temporarily to elicit some action.

Lake Erie: Walleye fishing seemed to slow down slightly; however, the bite was still good east of Stony Point in around 18 feet of water when trolling artificial swim baits. Anglers who tried unique tricks, like scenting their lures, were rewarded. A few yellow perch were caught on blade baits by anglers fishing for walleye on the Michigan side near Turtle Island, southeast of Luna Pier.

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Muskegon: Pier anglers were landing steelhead and coho salmon on spawn in the mornings in good numbers and sizes. All activity was on the south pier. Perch anglers in Muskegon Lake did well with minnows.

South Haven: Boat anglers had very good fishing this past week. Anglers were fishing from 20 to 60 feet of water. There continued to be good numbers of coho salmon, lake trout and a few Chinook salmon caught. Anything orange colored was catching fish. Pier anglers continued to catch good numbers of coho salmon on spawn fished on the bottom.

St. Joseph: Boat anglers reported good fishing with catches of coho salmon, along with a few bonus Chinook salmon. Anglers were fishing from 15 to 50 feet of water. Small crankbaits and spoons in orange and green worked well. Pier anglers were catching good numbers of coho salmon on spawn bags or skein.

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Cheboygan: Cheboygan city boat launch is available for use, but the Cheboygan County marina boat launches have not been put in yet. The cleaning station is also closed. Steelhead fishing was reported to have slowed down in the Cheboygan River. Fishing was best in the morning when either drifting beads or bouncing spawn bags near bottom. The current at the Cheboygan dam spillway from all of the water passing through made it difficult to fish.

Alpena: A few Atlantic salmon were caught by pier anglers while casting orange, silver, and blue/silver spoons. Those targeting walleye had no success. Weather permitting, boat anglers had a mixed bag in 15 to 30 feet of water. Trolling crankbaits produced Atlantic salmon as well as the occasional brown trout and walleye. Lake trout were found near North Point in 30 to 60 feet of water. Spoons in orange, gold, and chartreuse had the best results on short copper and lead core lines.

Thunder Bay River: Steelhead action remained good in the river. Bottom bouncing beads and spawn were productive throughout the day at the 9th Street dam. Off Lamar Park, anglers drifting beads and spawn had sporadic success. A few suckers started to show up in the river and were caught when using crawlers in the slower moving water.

Harrisville: Boat anglers fishing in around 50 feet of water while trolling spoons caught a handful of nice lake trout. Those fishing in the harbor caught the occasional steelhead or coho salmon. Using wigglers or spawn bags under a float worked well. Anglers steelhead fishing the Black River found mixed success. A couple steelhead were caught on beads and hair jigs.

Oscoda/Ausable River: Boat anglers were catching a mixed bag including Atlantic salmon, steelhead, coho salmon, and the occasional brown trout while trolling spoons or plugs in 15 to 30 feet of water. Hot ‘N Tots and orange/gold spoons were producing a few fish a day. Anglers fishing the pier were starting to see some Atlantic salmon show up with a handful taken on orange/gold K.O Wobblers. Those looking for walleye off the pier caught a few at dawn/dusk on minnows or deep thunder sticks.

Tawas: Boat anglers heading south from Tawas reported catching a few walleyes, along with some lake trout when trolling body baits. Walleye fishing from shore was slow overall. A few suckers and smallmouth bass were caught from the Tawas River.

Au Gres: Perch fishing in the Standish area was slow with only small perch caught. Walleye fishing out from the Pine River was also reported as slow. Those heading out from Au Gres reported catching a few walleye. Most anglers ventured north past the point to find fish, however a couple were also caught out in front of the river mouth.

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Little Traverse Bay: Anglers fishing in Petoskey found early morning success targeting steelhead. Fishing beads or spawn produced the best results while fishing the piers and near the mouth of the Bear River. Those fishing the Bear River reported some success bouncing artificials in the fast-moving current.

Charlevoix: Weather and ice kept most anglers off of the water. Those that made it out reported little to no success for lake trout and perch. One slip dock at Ferry Beach launch has been pushed in.

East Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers found mixed bags of lake trout and cisco when jigging off deepwater point. Those targeting steelhead on the Elk River had the best success around sunrise while floating spawn bags.

West Grand Traverse Bay: Angers had good success on lake trout while jigging in 120 to 160 feet of water. Pink and silver jigging spoons as well as white tube jigs yielded the best results. Those targeting cisco had no success. On the Boardman River, the steelhead action was steady in the morning and anglers had the most success when float fishing spawn bags and wax worms.

Suttons Bay/Northport: Few boat anglers found success jigging for lake trout in Northport. Anglers were fishing near and past the buoys as well as Omena Bay. Anglers reported that the lake trout were biting aggressively in around 100 to 150 feet of water.

Leland: Poor weather conditions limited fishing activity. A few anglers were float fishing for steelhead by the dam but had no success.

Frankfort: Pier anglers reported good numbers of chrome steelhead, a few brown trout and the occasional coho salmon hitting on fresh spawn halfway to the elbow. Anglers trolling the shoreline in 10 to 15 feet of water with body baits reported that they’ve been seeing a rise in brown trout numbers this year. In the harbor, anglers picked up brown trout and steelhead with water temperatures still in the high 30s. Anglers also reported that mornings seemed to be more productive.

Portage Lake: Anglers fishing in 25 to 32 feet of water just west of the city boat launch were landing nice catches of perch on mostly minnows and wigglers. Anglers were dropping the bait down slow and getting hits on the way down.

Manistee: Pier anglers reported slower catches this past week but were still able to catch a few brown trout and steelhead using spawn bags. In the mix came a couple Menominee on skein. Those trolling caught a couple brown trout while fishing the harbor and south near Magoon and Gurney Creeks. In general, the water was reported to still be very cold. Body baits worked while fishing in 8 to 15 feet of water.

Ludington: Boat anglers caught a few brown trout while trolling the harbor and near the Lincoln River mouth using body baits. A few lake trout were caught from the pier heads out to 50 feet of water while using spoons. Brown trout and lake trout also came from the Pentwater and Montague area. Catch and release smallmouth bass were reported from the harbor and near structure to the north. The water temperatures were still reported to be very cold, low 40s at best.

Tippy Dam: A nice push of fresh fish made their way up; lots of steelhead being caught. Water is starting to clear up and the weather is looking nicer. Easter weekend could make for some great outdoor action.

Upper Peninsula

St. Ignace: St. Ignace City boat launches have not been put into the water yet, but the cleaning station is open. Fishing activity at the Carp and Pine Rivers is unknown due to limited accessibility to those sites. The roads leading to the Carp River mouth still have deep snow in some areas or deeply rutted spots. The Pine River boat launch has not been put in and is not plowed.

Les Cheneaux Islands/Detour: Due to unsafe ice conditions and iced up boat launches and bays, there has been no fishing activity in either location. The pier in Hessel is also still surrounded by ice.

Grand Marais: Boat anglers trolling east of the break wall saw good action for coho salmon. The township ramp is now open, and West Bay is free of ice.

Munising: Anglers had great success on coho salmon when ice fishing the bay in Munising. The occasional splake and whitefish were also caught. Jigging Swedish pimples and spoons were reported to work well. Ice conditions are worsening in the bay so precede with caution.

Marquette: Anglers fishing from the lower harbor reported a mixture of success. Several boat anglers were successful in catching a few coho salmon in 7 to 20 feet of water. Brown trout were caught from the pier and trolling in the bay as well. The upper harbor is open and many anglers who decided to make their way out did quite well for coho salmon and brown trout around White Rocks. The steelhead numbers continued to be constant in both rivers. All of the river water levels were reported to be high due to snowmelt from rain and increasing temperatures, be careful of flooding in some areas. Natural baits seemed to work best in the rivers and along the shoreline in Marquette. Bright orange or chartreuse jigs worked well on the break wall. Most of the steelhead were caught on spawn while brown trout were loving the night crawlers. Bright orange and yellow Rapalas worked well for trolling for coho salmon along with bouncing jigs or trolling out by the Laughing White Fish.

Au Train: The mouth of the Au Train River and the Brownstone boat launch is now open; however, the dock is not in yet. The coho salmon and brown trout fishing was reported to have been very good this past week. Several boat anglers trolling around the river mouths in 7 to 30 feet of water were successful for both brown trout and coho salmon. Bright green or orange Rapalas, Fire Tiger, and Rainbow Trout were hot color schemes.

Ontonagon River: One dock is now in the water at the Ontonagon Marina Boat Launch. Angling efforts on the river remained extremely low over the past week. River conditions were not ideal for fishing as recent snow melt and precipitation kept the water clarity very poor.

Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: One dock is now in the water at the Ontonagon Marina Boat Launch. Docks remain out of the water at the Silver City and Porcupine Mountains boat launches. The gate into the Union Bay Campground has also not yet been opened for the season. The marina in Ontonagon remains frozen over with a thin layer of ice. The fish cleaning station at the Ontonagon Marina also remains closed for the winter season. Fishing efforts from these ports have been low. Anglers fishing from the shores of Union Bay had little luck when targeting coho salmon and steelhead in shallow waters.

Black River Harbor: The harbor saw a good amount of angling effort in the past week. Boats trolling shallow waters reported fair catches consisting of coho salmon and brown trout. Anglers also tried targeting these salmon and trout from the harbor break walls with relatively little success. Shore anglers reported that natural baits seemed to work best.

Little Bay de Noc: Docks are starting to go in. Windy conditions this past week limited fishing efforts.

Big Bay de Noc: There is still ice on Garden Bay. Boat launches should be getting docks in soon.

Team USA Wins Second Straight and Sixth Total Gold at World Team Trophy

TOKYO, Japan - Team USA successfully defended its title at ISU World Team Trophy 2025, winning its second consecutive and sixth total gold.

The United States tallied 126 points, which is the highest total score in the history of this event. Team USA athletes won six of the eight event segments.

Below are the competition results:

Results:

Gold: Team USA, 126 points

Silver: Team Japan, 110 points

Bronze: Team Italy, 86 points

Quotes:

Jason Brown on winning gold with Team USA:

"We are just beaming. I'm so insanely proud of my team and everyone. It's been such an incredible season, and to end it here has been so special. To just be able to witness all eight of us coming together — we got to cheer each other on and we got to support each other through the end of the year, and I think that was really awesome."

Jason Brown on the camaraderie of World Team Trophy:

"There's nothing like World Team Trophy. The fact that we get to be decked out in red, white and blue, we get to be in the kiss and cry with our teammates when they receive their scores. What's so special as well is we get to be in the team box. Even though it's so cool that we all get to be in the team box cheering the person that's on the ice, it's also so special for us bonding with each other in the box and just being there, getting to talk in between skaters. You could feel that support emanating off of all of us. It was really, really special. I even got to become closer and get to know the athletes on this team better through this week and through this experience, and that just makes me that much more excited for being able to travel with them as we move on to the next season."

Notes:

Team USA

• The U.S. won its second consecutive World Team Trophy gold

• This medal marks the sixth gold for Team USA at this event

• The United States has medaled at every World Team Trophy since its inception in 2009

• Team USA scored the highest point total in the history of this event

• The U.S. won six of the eight event segments

Women

• Alysa Liu placed first in both segments of the women’s event, earning 24 points

• Alysa Liu won her first World Team Trophy medal

• Alysa Liu collected international personal best short program and free skate scores

• Amber Glenn won her second World Team Trophy gold

• Amber Glenn contributed 17 points to the United States’ overall score

• Amber Glenn scored a new personal best in the free skate

• The U.S. women finished 1-2 in the free skate

Men

• Ilia Malinin placed first in both segments of the men’s event, collecting 24 points

• Ilia Malinin won his second World Team Trophy gold

• Jason Brown won his third World Team Trophy gold and fifth medal

• Jason Brown tallied a season’s best short program score

• Jason Brown contributed 21 points the United States' overall score

• The U.S. men finished 1-2 in the free skate

Pairs

• Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov won their first World Team Trophy medal

• Efimova and Mitrofanov contributed 16 points to Team USA’s final score

Ice Dance

• Madison Chock and Evan Bates won both segments of the ice dance competition, tallying 24 points

• Madison Chock and Evan Bates earned their fourth World Team Trophy gold and fifth podium finish

• Madison Chock and Evan Bates posted season’s best rhythm dance and free dance scores

Sports

Northern Michigan pathways named Pure Michigan Trails

Lugnuts, Team Lyders Taco Bell announce Launch-a-Ball to benefit Capital Area Humane Society

Be the Referee: Fair or Foul?

Fishing Report Week of 4_21

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Upper Peninsula

Team USA Wins Second Straight and Sixth Total Gold at World Team Trophy

24'-25' Photo Gallery Archives

April

February

January

December

November

October

September

August

Sports

Northern Michigan pathways named Pure Michigan Trails

Lugnuts, Team Lyders Taco Bell announce Launch-a-Ball to benefit Capital Area Humane Society

Be the Referee: Fair or Foul?

Fishing Report Week of 4_21

Southwest Lower Peninsula

Northeast Lower Peninsula

Northwest Lower Peninsula

Upper Peninsula

Team USA Wins Second Straight and Sixth Total Gold at World Team Trophy

24'-25' Photo Gallery Archives

April

February

January

December

November

October

September

August

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