Great Lakes Fish Award Winners

Logo of Great Lakes Fishery Commission featuring a stylized map of the Great Lakes within a green circle, surrounded by a blue border with white text that reads 'Great Lakes Fishery Commission' and 'Protecting Our Fishery'.

Created in partnership with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to celebrate fish species that provide valuable ecosystem services and are important to Great Lakes tribal, commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries and to raise awareness of non-native fish species that negatively impact the ecosystem.

2025 Award Winners

  • Colorful painting of a large rainbow trout in a river with rocky shores and mountains in the background. A fishing line with a pink bait is in the trout's mouth, and the water is lively with waves.

    1st – Yiling Lao

    K-3rd Grade - Rainbow Trout - MI

  • A person holding a fishing net with a rainbow trout caught inside, surrounded by water and rocks.

    1st – Annabelle Mu

    4th-6th Grade - Rainbow Trout - VA

  • Two men in outdoor clothing releasing a large fish into a river, with mountain scenery and flying birds in the background.

    1st – Ethan Kim

    7th-9th Grade - Sturgeon - NY

  • Fishes swimming underwater beside a deep-sea submersible with robotic arms.

    1st – Jamila Shin

    10th-12th Grade - Sturgeon & Round Roby - NJ

  • A painting of a trout fish swimming underwater among rocks and aquatic plants.

    2nd - Harper Cheng

    K-3rd Grade - Brook Trout - PA

  • Colorful painting of a person fishing on a blue ocean, with a large fish jumping out of the water and a smaller fish leaping in the air nearby.

    2nd - Andrew Yang

    4th-6th Grade - Smallmouth Bass - VA

  • A detailed painting of a largemouth bass jumping out of water, capturing a yellow crayfish with a dark background and water splashes.

    2nd - Stephanie Fu

    7th-9th Grade - Largemouth Bass - TX

  • Painting of two fish lying on rocky riverbed with a colorful shell and green mossy bank in the background.

    2nd - Wanzhen Tang

    10th-12th Grade - Arctic Grayling - Canada

  • Painting of a fish with other aquatic elements in the background.

    3rd - Jason Li

    K-3rd Grade - Rainbow Trout - AZ

  • A colorful painting of an ocean scene with a boat, various fish including a large rainbow fish, a seagull, mountains, and waves.

    3rd - Rajanya Paul

    4th-6th Grade - Atlantic Salmon - OR

  • Colorful painting of a trout fish swimming among rocks underwater with sunlight streaming through the water.

    3rd - Minjee Kim

    7th-9th Grade - Rainbow Trout - CO

  • Colorful painting of a rainbow trout fish underwater among rocks and pebbles.

    3rd - Christine Soojung Jung

    10th-12th Grade - Arctic Grayling - South Korea

Logo of Great Lakes Fishery Commission featuring a map of the Great Lakes in light blue, encircled by a blue ring with white text reading 'Great Lakes Fishery Commission' at the top and 'Protecting Our Fishery' at the bottom.

About the Great Lakes Fishery Commission

The Great Lakes Fishery Commission was established in 1955 by the Canadian/U.S. Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries. The commission coordinates fisheries research, controls the invasive sea lamprey, and facilitates cooperative fishery management among the state, provincial, tribal, and federal agencies.