The 1967 Coho Salmon Fishing Disaster refers to a squall over Lake Michigan, off the coast of Michigan in the United States, which occurred on September 23, 1967. Hundreds of small fishing boats were on the lake to take advantage of a coho salmon run. More than 150 boats capsized, seven people died, and 46 people were injured.
In 1965, the state of Michigan decided to stock rivers that ran into Lake Michigan with coho salmon in an attempt to reduce the population of alewives, then considered a "trash fish". About 660,000 coho salmon fingerlings were planted in 1966. The coho salmon fishery was well-established by 1967, with state biologists reporting that survivability of the 1966 plantings had exceeded expectations.
Although the state's first coho salmon fishing season opened April 1, the 1966 coho salmon plantings were not expected to make a big run until the fall of 1967. (At the time, Michigan state law forbade the commercial harvesting of salmon.)
The success of coho salmon fishermen around the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in April and May created much anticipation among fishermen in lower Michigan, where the salmon would move in the fall.
The Michigan State Department of Conservation encouraged the excitement by experimenting with catching methods and equipment, and reporting the results to anglers (almost none of whom in Michigan had any experience with fishing for salmon). The department assigned two patrol boats to keep tabs on the coho as they moved south, and reported findings daily to fishermen. Anticipation by fishermen for near-shore coho angling rose all throughout the summer of 1967. Fishermen throughout the Midwest believed the best fishing in the nation would occur in Lake Michigan.
The coho were slow to move toward shore; state experts said on August 2 that good near-shore fishing would probably begin in late August. By Labor Day weekend (September 1 to 4), good coho fishing could be had just 1 to 2 miles (1.6 to 3.2 km) offshore, and many schools could be found just 660 to 900 feet (200 to 270 m) from shore.
"Coho fever" struck Michigan. By late August, hundreds of anglers were crowding the lake off the towns of Frankfort, Manistee, and Onekama in northern lower Michigan every weekend. The week of August 28, at least 50 coho fishing boats could be seen on the water each weekday. On Thursday, August 30 (the Thursday before the Labor Day weekend), at least 315 boats were counted offshore.
The Detroit Free Press estimated that 19,000 anglers were on the water fishing for coho on Labor Day weekend. Cars with license plates from all over the Midwest were seen in Manistee. There were 600 to 800 small boats on the water off Manistee on Sunday, September 3, and Monday, September 4. Traffic clogged the roads around Frankfort, Manistee, and Onekama. No boats were available for hire for miles along the coast from Sleeping Bear Bay south to Ludington. Fishing guides in the Manistee area had been booked for more than a year, and boat rentals could not be had. Hotel reservations were very difficult to get in Benzie County, where the Platte River emptied into Lake Michigan, and sporting goods stores in Manistee ran out of bait, lures, rods, and tackle. Boat launching sites and marinas at Frankfort, Manistee, and the mouth of the Platte River were overwhelmed.
The United States Coast Guard expressed concern that coho anglers were not observing water safety rules. Most fishermen were in poorly-powered watercraft less than 18 feet (5.5 m) in length. Boats under 18 feet could not handle the large lake swells, and could be easily swamped due to low freeboard. Anglers used airboats, cabin cruisers, canoes, houseboats, prams, sailboats, car-top dinghies, kayaks, and rubber rafts to fish on the lake. One Coast Guard employee saw a man fishing using pontoons lashed together with rope, and a few boards on top for seating. Many boats had motors too under-powered for choppy lake weather.
The fishing was heavy Labor Day weekend, but state officials said the coho run would not peak until some time between mid September and the first week of October.
Coho fever continues in September
The second weekend of September (September 8 to 10) proved even more popular for coho anglers. An estimated 38,000 coho salmon anglers were on the water that weekend, trolling between Manistee and the Platte River. From 800 to 1,000 boats jammed the waters the week of September 11 to 14 at Manistee, while 1,500 to 1,700 vessels could be found there the weekend of September 15 to 17. Cars with license plates from all over the nation were seen in Frankfort and Manistee, and more than 450 boats were counted off Manistee on Sunday, September 10. A line 20 vehicles long backed up at the public boat launch in Manistee. In Stronach Township, the state of Michigan leased a plot of land and created a 150-car parking lot and temporary access to the lake to accommodate demand. Boat launching sites were still so packed, many anglers had taken to launching canoes and car-top boats from the beach. The channel connecting Manistee Lake with Lake Michigan was so clogged with boat traffic that the Coast Guard found it difficult to get their own boats to Lake Superior. The channel was so full, one Coast guardsman said, "I bet I could of walked the 100 yards across it by stepping from boat to boat." Area restaurants were receiving deliveries of food three times a day to keep up with demand, there were long lines at gas stations, and sporting goods stores as far away as Detroit were low on many items. No boating equipment could be found for sale in Manistee.
The Coast Guard and state boating safety experts reiterated that they remained apprehensive about the safety of many of the boats being used. "Coho fishing is presenting serious safety problems," said Robert Dyke, marine program supervisor for the boat and water safety division of the Michigan state department of conservation. The Coast Guard station at Manistee, which usually had six rescue calls a year, had 40 such calls since Labor Day. The Coast Guard warned fishermen to be alert for squalls, avoid overloading, and to have a compass and distress flares on board. Some boats were going as far as 8 miles (13 km) offshore, taking unsafe, ill-equipped watercraft far beyond the point of safe return in case of a change of weather. Seven boats sank in the area between September 1 and 15, and 25 to 30 had capsized between September 1 and September 30. In the past two weeks, the Coast Guard had issued 500 citations for various safety and regulatory violations to coho fishermen, and towed a few boats with dead motors from quite a distance offshore.
Michigan's "coho fever" in 1967 drew national media attention, including a Sports Illustrated magazine cover.
Fishing pressure remained high the second week of September (September 13 to 14), with at least 550 boats a day counted off Manistee. That weekend (September 15 to 17), more than 1,000 boats were counted off Manistee on Saturday and 1,500 boats on Sunday. At Frankfort on Saturday, a traffic jam backed up for 2 miles (3.2 km) as anglers tried to use the public boat launch facilities. Tom Lewis, president of Manistee Chamber of Commerce, called it a "madhouse".
The September 15 to 17 weekend had seen some of the best coho salmon fishing of the season, and only served to heighten interest by anglers.
The week of September 18 to 22, there were roughly 1,000 boats a day on the water between Manistee and Frankfort, where the best coho salmon fishing could be found along a 30-mile (48 km) stretch of coast. Another 1,000 vessels were counted in the waters off the mouth of the Platte River. Although excellent coho angling could be found off Manistee, Onekama, and Frankfort, the best fishing was found several miles off Arcadia, luring boaters far out onto the lake.
A columnist for the Battle Creek Enquirer newspaper warned that there were "too many fishermen seeking coho who never fished anything bigger than lakes close to home". The schooling off Arcadia worried the Coast Guard, which said the biggest problem was boaters going too far out in boats that were too small. Some small boats were going out as far as 9 miles (14 km).