Fishes of the Great Lakes

“Fishing has always been a great American pastime and Blatz has always been America’s great tasting, quality beer.” – Text, lower right. This large advertising poster for Blatz Beer shows over fifty species of fishes that can be caught in the five Great Lakes. The artwork that dominates the image was furnished to the publishing company, Heilman Brewing, by the U.S. Department of Commerce; an interesting union to be sure. Unfortunately for the fisherman, many of these types of fish are now relatively rare in most areas of the Great Lakes. Competition from invasive species (including the sea lamprey, pictured here), pollution (including empty beer cans), and commercial overfishing has all hurt the recreational fishing industry in the 20th and 21st centuries.