More than 1,300 feet below the surface of Lake Superior, scientists are investigating a fisheries mystery: siscowet lake trout that should be fat and robust are turning up strikingly thin. Researchers call them “zombie fish,” but the real story is less sensational—and still unresolved.

In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with returning guest Shawn Sitar, a Michigan DNR fisheries research biologist and science officer aboard the RV Lake Char, about what the team is learning from Lake Superior’s deepest waters. From possible food shortages and disease testing to lake trout recovery and long-term monitoring, Shawn takes us into the science behind one of Lake Superior’s most unusual recent findings and how long-term fisheries research helps scientists track the health of the lake.

Notable quotes:

1. “There’s a famine event going on out there…they actually kind of look like zombies.”
2. “We’re not alarmed, we’re concerned.”
3. “Overall, Lake Superior is in a really good place…We have abundant populations of fish. We have a lot of biodiversity also.”
4. “Recently we declared that lean lake trout, the one that’s utilized by humans, has been recovered or in a rehabilitated state. That’s a good sign.”
5. “I’m glad to work on a system that is basically the most natural of the Great Lakes. Things are in good shape.”
6. “Part of my duty is to communicate the science to everyone so that they have a better understanding and appreciation of everything around us.”

Helpful links:

• Michigan DNR – Researchers Head to Superior Maximus to Investigate “Zombie” Fish
  https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/about/newsroom/releases/2026/06/08/researchers-head-to-superior-maximus-to-investigate-zombie-fish
• Michigan DNR – Fisheries Research
  https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/fisheries/research
• The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery
  https://www.thefishthief.com/
• Lake Superior Podcast – Shawn Sitar’s previous lake trout recovery episode
  https://podcast.nplsf.org/1756982/episodes/16661302-s6-e3-the-lake-trout-resurgence-in-lake-superior-a-conservation-success-story-an-interview-with-shawn-sitar

Connect with us:

• Lake Superior Podcast Page: https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports – Minneapolis-based importers of specialty green coffees since 1993, focused on sustainability. Learn more: cafeimports.com
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation – Donate to protect Lake Superior’s five national parks: nplsf.org/donate

More than a century after the 1913–14 Copper Country Strike, one of its most prominent leaders now has a permanent place in downtown Calumet, Michigan. Anna Klobuchar Clemenc, better known as “Big Annie,” was born in Calumet to Slovenian immigrant parents and became a leader in the strike, founding and serving as president of the Women’s Auxiliary No. 15 of the Western Federation of Miners.

In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Team Big Annie chairperson Vada Riederich about the years-long community effort to raise $150,000 to create a bronze statue honoring her legacy and the August 2026 unveiling. Vada about how a Facebook post grew into a years-long campaign, the people who helped make the monument possible, and what Big Annie’s legacy can teach new generations about labor history in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.

Notable Quotes:

1. “She was driven and she would not give up on what should be fair and right.”
2. “At that time when women had no voice and no vote, that's quite an undertaking for a young woman of 25 years old.”
3. “I hope that young people will be inspired to learn more about our amazing history and be proud to share it.”
4. “We're still a young nation and we're still growing and learning from our mistakes…history gives you that information so we can figure a path to correct those mistakes”
5. “So she spoke up at that time, and it led to good things in the future.”

Helpful links:

Big Annie Statue Project

https://www.biganniestatue.com/

Keweenaw National Historical Park

https://www.nps.gov/kewe/

Coppertown Mining Museum

https://www.nps.gov/places/coppertown-mining-museum.htm

Keweenaw Community Foundation – Big Annie Statue Fund

https://www.keweenawcommunityfoundation.org/big-annie-statue-fund

Connect with us:

• Lake Superior Podcast Page: https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports – Minneapolis-based importers of specialty green coffees since 1993, focused on sustainability. Learn more: cafeimports.com
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation – Donate to protect Lake Superior’s five national parks: nplsf.org/donate

For generations, the mines of Michigan's Copper Country have been woven into the history of the Lake Superior region. While many of those mines closed decades ago, their stories — and the underground landscapes they created — continue to leave their mark on the communities above them. Today, researchers are combining archaeology, historic records, and emerging technologies to better understand the region's mining history, improve public safety, and explore how these underground landscapes may serve future generations.

In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Tim Scarlett, Associate Professor of Archaeology at Michigan Technological University. They explore the challenges of mapping abandoned mines, why understanding these underground landscapes matters, and what they can teach us about the past and perhaps the future.

Connect with us:

• Lake Superior Podcast Page: https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports – Minneapolis-based importers of specialty green coffees since 1993, focused on sustainability. Learn more: cafeimports.com
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation – Donate to protect Lake Superior’s five national parks: nplsf.org/donate