Successful Walleye hatches from previous years continue to support excellent recreational and commercial fisheries. However, elevated nutrient concentrations and algal blooms are persistent problems.
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Be a source of safe, high quality drinking water.
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Allow for unrestricted swimming and other recreational use
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Allow for unrestricted human consumption of the fish and wildlife
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Be free from pollutants that could harm people, wildlife, or organisms
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Support healthy and productive habitats to sustain our native species
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Be free from nutrients that promote unsightly or toxic blooms
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Be free from aquatic and terrestrial invasive species
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Be free from the harmful impacts of contaminated groundwater
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Be free from other substances, materials, or conditions that may negatively affect the Great Lakes
Lake Erie continues to be a good source for producing high-quality drinking water. Toxic chemicals monitored in Lake Erie are assessed as Fair, but conditions are considered Improving with reduced contaminant concentrations in sediment and whole fish. Lake Erie fish continue to be a nutritious food source, and consumption advisories for certain species of fish are less restrictive, supporting an Improving trend.
Lake Erie’s beaches and nearshore waters provide Fair to Good opportunities for swimming and other recreational uses for the majority of the swimming season. Nutrients and algae continue to be assessed as Poor. Cyanobacteria algal blooms driven by high concentrations of nutrients occur regularly in the western basin of Lake Erie during the summer months. These blooms can produce toxins harmful to humans and wildlife. Excessive growth of Cladophora in the eastern basin of the lake can foul beaches and shorelines, clog municipal water intakes, and impact tourism and recreational fishing.
Coastal wetland conditions range from Poor to Fair due to several factors, including the impacts of invasive species like Phragmites and Hybrid Cattail. Some components of the lower food web, including Phytoplankton and benthic organisms, are in Poor condition. However, Zooplankton are in Good condition, helping to support abundant prey and predator fish populations. Prey fish diversity in Lake Erie is the highest among the Great Lakes, but is dominated by non-native prey fish species. Lake Erie’s Walleye population is at its highest level since the 1970s, and Lake Trout abundance has increased due in part to stocking efforts and declines in Sea Lamprey populations. Self-sustaining populations of Lake Sturgeon are found in the St. Clair River, the Detroit River and the Upper Niagara River. Increased aquatic habitat connectivity due to dam removal and habitat restoration projects is further supporting the increasing predator and prey fish populations in the lake. Among the Great Lakes, Lake Erie has the highest number of aquatic non-native species, as the warmer, highly productive waters provide a favorable environment for these species.
Sea Lamprey populations in Lake Erie dropped precipitously after 2018, but adult Sea Lamprey populations have slightly exceeded targets set to reach critical fish community objectives in recent years. Dreissenid Mussels continue to impact nutrient cycling by retaining and recycling nutrients in nearshore and bottom areas of the lake. Groundwater quality is assessed as Fair based on nitrate and chloride concentrations. Land use and shoreline hardening continue to pose threats to Lake Erie ecosystem health. Long-term trends such as earlier onset of thermal stratification and decreasing ice cover may also have ecosystem implications.