About Lake St Clair Fish Cleaning Foundation

The Lake St. Clair Fish Cleaning Foundation is dedicated to serving the needs of Lake St. Clair anglers and local residents by providing funding for the construction of a public fish cleaning station at the Michigan DNR Clinton River Cutoff Boating Access Site in Harrison Township, Michigan.  

Fish cleaning stations are some of the most utilized facilities in angling communities around the great lakes. There are no public fish cleaning stations on Lake St. Clair which supports one of the most highly utilized fisheries in Michigan. Lake St. Clair is adjacent to Michigan’s largest population centers. The closest public fish cleaning facilities are located at the City of St. Clair boat harbor along the St. Clair River to the north and at Sterling State Park near Monroe, Michigan along Lake Erie to the south. 

Disposal of wastes from fish cleaning have always been a problem for anglers, tourists, shoreline communities, hotels and motels, and refuse haulers. Without adequate freezer space to store fish entrails until trash day, many anglers find nearby dumpsters or trash cans. Non-resident anglers staying in local hotels may use the dumpsters there. Especially during the hot part of the year this creates a stench and a potential health issue at it attracts flies, bees and other insects. Waste haulers do not appreciate picking up smelly unfrozen fish guts during their weekly rounds. Some anglers may illegally dump fish waste back into the lake. A fish cleaning station will help to alleviate these problems and will help to assure that we continue to have a cleaner and healthier lake. 

Acquisition, development, and maintenance of boating access sites is funded by restricted funding from the Michigan Waterways Fund. These statutory restrictions do not allow for those funds to be used for the construction or maintenance of a fish cleaning facility.