Tip

QUESTION: I am writing on behalf of my father. He wants to knowif it is safe to eat the fish from Lake Michigan. I guess this wouldgo for fish caught offshore and on a boat.

Arturo ANSWER: Yes, it is safe with a few precautions andexceptions. Page 39 of the 1999 Illinois Fishing Information booklethas an updated list of fish-consumption advisories. Yellow perch,small rainbow trout and smelt are the safest fish to eat, but onlyone meal a week is recommended. Carp and channel catfish from LakeMichigan should never be eaten. Very large brown trout, lake troutand chinook salmon should only be eaten once every couple months.Preparation tips: When filleting salmon or trout, remove as muchfatty tissue as possible and the skin.