Pete Edisen Fishery, Michigan, United States

4Steve5863 5:00 PM Jul 22, 2020

Life on Isle Royale
The Pete Edison Fishery preserves a historic commercial fishery that was once common on Isle Royale. While there were periods of mining and lumbering, they were generally short lived and of limited commercial success, whereas commercial fishing enjoyed the greatest success and prospered from the 1830s till the creation of the national park in 1931. The fishery, staffed by resident demonstrators that live on site in July and August, consists of the well preserved Edisen home, dock and boathouse that is full of period equipment. The fishery can only be accessed by boat by using the dock adjacent to the Edisen Fishery. If you are not visiting Isle Royale by private boat, it is still possible to visit by taking the tour boat MV Sandy from Rock Harbor (tickets are sold at the lodge office after arrival to the island only) which also includes a visit to the Rock Harbor Lighthouse, by taking the approximately 0.1 mile (0.2k) trail to the northeast, and the opportunity to visit the moose research center at the Bangsund Cabin, which should not be missed but is further away than the lighthouse, in the opposite direction. Of the four MV Sandy tours offered, we felt this was the best.

5maconmac 5:00 PM Mar 26, 2003

Enchanted Isle Royale and the Edisen Fishery
First of all I should note that I first went to Isle Royale in 1972, and visited regularly until 1983. During the early years I knew Pete Edisen quite well. He was then in his 70's and lived in the fishery in the summer with his wife. Subsequently, she passed away-I was on the island when she became ill and had to be evacuated to their winter home in Minnesota. Pete did not come back that summer, but in subsequent years he continued to stay at the fishery in the summer until his death several years later. I think he looked on the personnel of the National Park Service and the tourists as his family. I'm not sure if he ever had children of his own. He was really a piece of living history. He had commercially fished around Isle Royale for 40 years and spent several winters there. In the early years he still fished, and I had to be careful of his nets when using a fishing boat. He was always friendly, talkative and eager to share his stories, which were many and marvellous. My son was a preteen when we first visited and they became good friends. The highlight one summer is when we arrived on a large wooden schooner, courtesy of a sailing friend of mine who was touring Lake Superior. Pete claimed he hadn't seen a vessel like that since leaving Norway as a young man. Following his death, the fishery became the property of the National Park Service, and it was undergoing extensive restoration using traditional building methods when I last visited. The lighthouse had also undergone extensive restoration, even though it is no longer a navigation marker and the optical equipment had been removed. Isle Royale is a special place, magical for the right people. It's one of my favorite places on earth, with wildlife viewing that is often better than Alaska, though less varied. It lacks many creature comforts, but at least in the lodge is hardly primitive. Camping is of course the best way for getting the feeling of the place, but don't avoid it even if you are not up to camping. The lack of bears on the island makes camping easier, though foxes and racoons can be mischevious. The wolves are heard occasionally but rarely seen. The trails are rocky and rough with many hills. Backpackers with more experience than me have found the trails to be quite tough. In recent years Scuba diving has become quite popular on the many island shipwrecks, but it is tough cold water diving, which I haven't tried, even though open water certified. Getting there is somewhat difficult, but an adventure in itself, whether you go by float plane (in my opinion the best way), or by boat. It is worth the effort. I hope to visit again soon.