Burbot, the funny-looking, eel-tailed cousin of cod, has quietly become one of the hottest targets on Michigan’s winter fishing scene. In the Northeast, they call it the “lawyer” because it slips right out of your hands, which is a fitting nickname for a fish that used to get no respect. Now this once-overlooked species is packing ice shacks, lighting up social media, and fueling new business for charter captains. But just as the burbot’s popularity is taking off, state regulators and researchers are warning the boom might be more than the fish can handle.
What’s driving the burbot craze? Scroll through fishing groups on Facebook this winter and you’ll see burbot everywhere. Anglers are bragging and charter captains are advertising burbot trips alongside classic favorites like walleye and lake trout. The once quiet burbot bite has gone viral.
“They’re not as well known as lake trout or salmon, but they have always had a very tight-lipped following of anglers,” said Andrew Shapiro, a Ph.D. student at Michigan State University who is studying their migratory and spawning habits in the Great Lakes. “People are pretty fanatical about fishing. But in recent years, interest in burbot angling has been exponential.”
Shapiro said his goal is “to spread the good burb-word” about burbot, a fish that’s often misunderstood.
“People think they’re ugly. They eat stuff that other fish don’t. They’re pretty opportunistic and will eat anything, which has a negative connotation,” Shapiro told Fox2 Detroit. “But that’s changing. People think they’re pretty now.”
The problem is that the hype cycle isn’t good for burbot biology. Unlike most popular game fish that breed in warmer weather, burbot spawn under ice, often hanging out in large groups in predictable locations and depths. That makes them an easy target for anglers, especially when word gets out online.
Biologists are concerned that the burbot’s budding fame could harm the species’ population before there’s sound science to track it. Burbot are one of the least-studied native fish in the Great Lakes. Michigan State University researchers only started tagging them this January, so long-term data on population trends is currently non-existent.
Right now, Michigan has no limit on burbot. Anglers who get into a school during the winter spawn can legally haul in as many as they can carry. But that won’t last much longer. The Michigan Natural Resource Commission is expected to vote on the state’s first-ever harvest limit of five fish per day later this year.
“It’s a fine idea by the commission to manage them. Right now, there’s no limit,” Central Coast Angling charter captain Bob Hinds told Fox2 Detroit. “Personally, I limit my boat because on some days, it’s a free-for-all. We’d catch up to 60 a trip.”
“The impact of overharvesting burbot during the spawning run is unknown; however, due to the recent increase in harvest trends, more protection from harvest is prudent to maintain this important native resource,” the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said in a July statement.
Michigan isn’t the first state to put limits on burbot. Minnesota implemented a four-fish limit for 2025. North Dakota has a more generous 10-fish bag limit, while Montana’s is a conservative two.
While some Michigan anglers may groan about the potential burbot bag limits, the rules, if approved, are designed to ensure this unique, hard-fighting fish is still around long after the social media buzz dies down.
