Aquaculture 2025

March 6 - 10, 2025

New Orleans, Louisiana USA

INCREASING GOLDEN SHINER Notemigonus crysoleucas PRODUCTION FOR BAIT IN MINNESOTA

Donald R. Schreiner* and Amy J. Schrank.

*University of Minnesota, Minnesota Sea Grant College Program, 144 Chester Park Bldg., 31 West College Street, Duluth, MN 55812 

Bill Linder Photography

schr0941@d.umn.edu



Over the last twenty years t he  supply of Golden Shiner in Minnesota has decreased while  demand by anglers for use  as bait has increased and far  exceeds in-state production.  Minnesota reported $101,000 in sales of Golden Shiner in the 2018 A quaculture Census which was about 58% of the $175,000 reported in the 2013 census and 24% of the $425,000 reported in the 2005 census .  Recent projections estimate a deficit of  more than 10,000  gallons of Golden Shiner annually. Consequently, t here is pressure from  some  anglers, bait dealers, and legislators to import  Golden Shiner from other states, though this is currently prohibited.  The primary concerns are that importation can introduce aquatic invasive species, disease, and parasites that may negatively impact native fish communities . Recreational f ishing is  one of Minnesota’s largest industries,  with an estimated  direct economic  value of $5.9 billion. Our study explores  strategies  to increase Golden Shiner  abundance  in Minnesota as a n alternative to importation.

Production of Golden Shiner is  limited due to slow growth rates  in Minnesota where i t takes two years  for  Golden Shiner  to reach market size (8-12 cm) in natural ponds.  We  are exploring  four different strategies to grow Golden Shiner to market size  in Minnesota  within one growing season (May-October). Our strategies include: 1) intensive  indoor rearing of Golden Shiner using a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS); 2)  growing  Golden Shiner in  an  indoor recirculating aquaponics system; 3) stocking  outdoor,  constructed ponds with newly hatched  Golden Shiner sac-fry (0.5-1 cm); and 4) producing feed- trained Golden Shiner frylings  (2-3 cm)  indoors before stocking them into  outdoor constructed ponds.

 Year one  (2022)  of our project produced optimistic results and provided  future  areas of research to pursue.  Year two (2023) built upon year one results and we saw increased growth in most strategies . The production and  growth  of Golden Shiner in ponds  stocked  with both sac fry and feed- trained fry was variable but, in most cases, growth exceeded that of year one. Development of the aquaponics strategy was delayed in year one but was successfully implemented in year two. Unfortunately, we ran into an issue in our year two RAS strategy. We will summarize total production, growth and size structure at harvest for each strategy .

A major benefit from this project has been to develop strong working relationships among those in the aquaculture industry, state government and academia .  The project has drawn high interest from bait dealers,  aquaculture producers,  the Minnesota Department of N atural Resources and the media. If successful and cost effective, these  strategies  could become a  new  model for production of  a variety of minnow species used as bait in Minnesota and other northern climates.