Every year, fishing on Michigan’s abundant waterways contributes billions of dollars to the state economy — money that helps support thousands of small businesses as well as local communities and schools.

I encourage Southwest Michigan families and out-of-state visitors to get out and enjoy some of the world’s best fishing on both inland and Great Lakes waters. It’s fun, relaxing and important to preserving our great outdoors.

With spring here, now is the time to get a new fishing license. Michigan’s 2018 fishing license season kicked off on April 1.

All 2018 fishing licenses are valid through March 31, 2019 and are good for all species.

Fishing licenses can be purchased online 24 hours a day, seven days a week at www.mdnr-elicense.com. Anglers can also visit a local license retailer or Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Customer Service Center to purchase a fishing license in person.

The DNR has also developed an electronic license that now allows individuals to display electronic copies of their fishing licenses on their smartphones.

There are several fishing regulation changes this year, and I encourage everyone to get to know all fishing rules before heading out.

Anglers can use the 2018 Michigan Fishing Guide for helpful information on the 2018 fishing season, including details on current regulations, images of popular fish and materials on managed lakes and rivers in each county.

The guide is available where fishing licenses are sold or online at www.michigan.gov/dnrdigests. The online version is kept up to date and is always available for download.

I hope everyone gets a chance to experience the joy of fishing. It is truly one of the things that makes Michigan such a great place to live.