Where the Carp River meets Lake Michigan, a natural fish ladder formed a traditional Native American fishing ground used long before white settlements. From the 1830's on, settlers to the area began to fish there as well. A dam and mill built in 1854 by Antoine Manseau on the Carp River which attracted settlers, including island fishing families. They lined both sides of the Carp River with wooden shacks, reels to dry nets, and icehouses and smokehouses to preserve their catch. Pound nets and gill nets were used to catch whitefish, lake trout, and menominee (a chub). Boats taking Leland lumber and iron out also transported Leland fish to market. Fishing boats were locally built and were powered by gas motors in the early 1900's. Fishing was a hard life, as Peter Carlson (member of a fifth-generation fishing family) tells it: "You got up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning and sometimes we got done at 4 o'clock, before dark. Sometimes it was after dark, and sometimes we wouldn't get through work until 11 or 12 o'clock at night." Fishing peaked in 1930 and then declined due to species depletion from overfishing, introduction of exotic species, and regulations favoring sports fishing. Today, the fishing settlement is known as "Fishtown". Two fisheries remain along with an active charter fishing business. The waterfront is composed of quaint shacks which have becoming shops for the tourists. The island ferry service is also located in Fishtown.

CLICK FOR LARGER PHOTO Leland, mouth of Carp River circa 1890. © 1999 Leelanau.Com

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