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Sport Fish Fillet Monitoring Program

Contact Information

For further information on the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program, please contact:

Elizabeth Murphy (murphy.elizabeth@epa.gov)
Environmental Scientist
EPA Great Lakes National Program Office
(312) 353-4227 or 1-800-621-8431 x34227

Access the Data

Data produced by the GLFMSP can be obtained through the Great Lakes Environmental Database Query System or through the University of Illinois Extension website Exit EPA Disclaimer

You can also contact the program manager, Elizabeth Murphy, for information regarding the GLFMSP and/or supporting data.

Peer reviewed journal articles published using GLFMSP data can also be found on the Reports & Links page.

This component of the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and surveillance Program was eliminated in 2008 to allow for the Emerging Chemical Surveillance Program. It was directed at monitoring potential human exposure to contaminants through consumption of popular sport fish species in the Great Lakes Basin. The program provided for the collection of skin-on fillets from Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) or Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) salmon in Lakes Michigan, Superior, Ontario, and Huron and for rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) in Lake Erie. The inclusion of Coho and Chinook salmon in this program provided a snapshot of contaminant concentrations across the Great Lakes in fish of consistent age, complementing the existing size-based data collected in the Open Lakes Trend Monitoring Program. Fish samples were then composited and analyzed for contaminants, including PCBs, toxaphene, chlordanes, PBDEs and other organochlorine compounds. All samples collected for this program have been archived and may be available for additional research. All data produced is available through the Great Lakes Environmental Database.

Information gained from the Sport Fish Fillet monitoring program cannot be used to determine trends in contaminants and cannot be used to set fish advisories. All eight Great Lakes states and the Great Lakes tribes issue their own fish consumption advice. PCB concentrations in coho salmon from this program can be compared to a standardized fish advisory protocol, the Protocol for a Uniform Great Lakes Sport Fish Consumption Advisory Exit EPA Disclaimer, developed by the eight Great Lakes states to assess potential human exposure to PCBs through sport fish consumption. Although not intended as fish consumption advice, information from this program can assess the extent to which PCBs accumulate in coho salmon tissue in each of the Great Lakes.

Samples are no longer analyzed for this program; however, the EPA maintains a historical archive of these fish samples that may be utilized for historical information on chemicals like emerging contaminants.

Data

All Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP) data can be accessed through EPA's Great Lakes Environmental Database or by contacting the program manager, Elizabeth Murphy.

Summary Data tables of the last year of data for this element of the GLFMSP are provided here. When possible, chemical concentrations are compared to relevant benchmarks. Reference to the GLWQA below refers to the benchmarks identified in the 1987 amendment to the 1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Lake Superior Species Year Contaminant Mean Conc. (ppb) 95% CI Target
Pike Creek Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 127.75 1.43 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 34.09 2.06
Total PBDE 25.93 3.74
Total Chlordane 29.18 2.20 150 ppb Protocol
Total Toxaphene 100.47 4.65 235 ppb OMOE
Mercury 5.78 1.30 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 6.17 1.19 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 3.24 1.14    
French River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 127.75 1.43 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 46.09 8.48
Total PBDE 25.93 3.74
Total Chlordane 35.85 7.25 150 ppb Protocol
Total Toxaphene 119.75 28.95 235 ppb OMOE
Mercury 212.81 36.30 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 5.78 1.30 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 3.24 1.36    
Lake Huron Species Contaminant Mean Conc. (ppb) 95% CI Target
Black River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 252.32 25.70 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 74.56 10.90
Total PBDE 19.79 3.53
Total Chlordane 22.15 5.94 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 163.80 42.29 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 1.74 0.75 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.70 0.49    
Swan River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 259.05 56.34 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 67.11 18.87
Total PBDE 15.58 7.10
Total Chlordane 19.19 5.74 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 154.74 36.07 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 1.72 0.66 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.60 0.87    
Lake Ontario Species Contaminant Mean Conc. (ppb) 95% CI Target
Salmon River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 422.43 73.32 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 130.22 19.41
Total PBDE 39.92 7.69
Total Chlordane 20.31 4.95 150 ppb Protocol
Mirex 19.25 4.67 235 ppb OMOE
Mercury 252.72 11.69 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 0.99 0.52 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 0.56 0.23    
Lake Erie Species Contaminant Mean Conc. (ppb) 95% CI Target
Salmon River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 296.15 44.68 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 35.12 5.19
Total PBDE 8.18 1.14
Total Chlordane 9.49 1.41 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 129.09 9.60 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 4.24 0.30 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 7.21 1.78    
Lake Michigan Species Contaminant Mean Conc. (ppb) 95% CI Target
St. Joseph River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 154.68 9.53 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 46.23 6.68
Total PBDE 11.34 0.94
Total Chlordane 12.41 1.59 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 222.30 33.29 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 1.12 0.25 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 0.53 0.20    
Platt River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 222.17 73.80 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 69.15 25.50
Total PBDE 14.73 5.16
Total Chlordane 14.99 4.87 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 184.03 48.15 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 1.25 1.12 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.20 1.37    
Grand River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 309.41 116.09 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 95.36 36.10
Total PBDE 22.33 9.02
Total Chlordane 26.73 8.96 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 210.26 40.98 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 2.99 1.49 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.69 1.28    
Cook County, IL Coho Salmon 2007 Total PCB 314.59 102.66 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 90.05 22.35
Total PBDE 22.22 8.09
Total Chlordane 23.11 5.50 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 152.74 70.84 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 3.00 1.60 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.74 0.73    
Root River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 556.36 120.29 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 156.22 59.80
Total PBDE 37.00 13.06
Total Chlordane 47.48 21.72 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 214.98 52.20 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 5.25 1.06 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.74 0.26    
Kewaunee River Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 475.81 86.70 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 140.50 34.89
Total PBDE 31.88 7.72
Total Chlordane 40.66 12.46 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 192.86 28.42 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 4.10 1.42 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.71 0.41    
Trail Creek Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 302.27 33.27 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 90.98 23.40
Total PBDE 20.65 3.29
Total Chlordane 25.75 2.59 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 220.26 41.14 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 2.20 0.67 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 0.95 0.13    
Thompson Creek Chinook Salmon 2007 Total PCB 337.11 112.36 50 ppb Protocol
Total DDT 83.41 30.54
Total PBDE 19.93 8.50
Total Chlordane 24.67 9.65 150 ppb Protocol
Mercury 178.10 34.90 50 ppb Protocol
Dieldrin 2.70 1.23 300 ppb GLWQA
Lipid 1.77 1.15    

GLFMSP publications on contaminants in sport fish:

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