Minnesota in Photos

An exploration of our state in images.

April 24, 2012

Minnesota in Photos: Smelt return for a fishy tradition

It's springtime, which in Duluth means the smelt are running. But not the way they used to. Decades ago the city was nuts over the small silver fish, with hordes of people flocking to Lake Superior streams and beaches so thick with smelt it wasn't hard to catch a garbage can full. But the smelt population crashed in the 1980s, and now only a few die-hard smelters are keeping the tradition alive.

Duluth, Minn. — Smelt fishermen take their nets back into the waters of Lake Superior on Sunday, April 22 at Park Point in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Duluth, Minn. — Koua Yang, right, of St. Paul, runs to the fire to warm up as cold temperatures and a stiff breeze kept most smelt fishermen on the shore instead of in Lake Superior Friday, April 20 along Park Point in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Duluth, Minn. — Brock House of Wrenshall, Minn. with a bucket of captured smelt on the shore of Lake Superior at Park Point in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Duluth, Minn. — Brock House checks out a big smelt captured in his family's net Sunday, April 22 along Park Point in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Duluth, Minn. — Smelt captured by the House family begin to fill a bucket Sunday evening along Park Point in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Andrew Franks bites the head off a smelt

Duluth, Minn. — Andrew Frank, 14, bites the head off of a smelt as part of a tradition for first-time fishermen, on Sunday evening along Park Point in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Duluth, Minn. — Lanterns, fires and other sources of light are necessary for smelt fishermen. Smelt run in great numbers at night so fishermen are forced to drag their nets through the water in the dark. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Duluth, Minn. — Kevin House, in the green hat, checks over buckets that he will use to store smelt captured in Lake Superior along Park Point in Duluth, Minn. on Sunday, April 23. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

Duluth, Minn. — Mike Fasteland, left, of Carlton, Minn. and Brad Bunge, right, of Wrenshall, Minn. reach shore with a few smelt Sunday evening along Park Point in Duluth, Minn. (Derek Montgomery for MPR) link to this photo

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