Shipping frozen fish to Michigan?

I am thinking to ship some frozen vacuum packed rockfish/lingcod/salmon to my aunt this winter. They are in Midland Michigan. First of all, is this legal? If it is, what is the best practice to pack it? Dry ice? But how much for 20lb? 30lb of fish? I know there is a 5lb dry ice limit by most carriers. Any recommendation on Styrofoam box? If I'm shipping in winder months, would ground shipping be possible? UPS? Fedex? USPS? Others? Thanks in advance!

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I've had the best experiences with FedEx

Get a good idea of total weight and box dimensions then go ask

I like having a face to face conversation in order to get a persons name at the shipping facility nearest you

I've had the best experiences with FedEx

Get a good idea of total weight and box dimensions then go ask

I like having a face to face conversation in order to get a persons name at the shipping facility nearest you

Thanks! Will go check it out

Some states require documentation for transporting or shipping sport caught fish by common carrier. You need to ask the common carrier, who should be familiar with the procedure. You could also check the DNR website of the destination state. California only prohibits the export of trout (for reasons that I do not understand), anything else legally taken does not require any further documentation on this end.

My friends sent me Blue fin tuna from NY a couple of times and used UPS overnight shipping.
The shipping cost was like couple hundred bucks but the meat was still pretty frozen when I received cooler.
 
 

I had a relative who'd have a commercial company send me a frozen ham every now and then, and I saved some of the coolers for a while, but I think I gave them away.  They were cubes, about 1 cubic foot inside, with an overlapping lid that fit in real snugly.   Maybe someone has one sitting around, if you can't find one at your shipper's.
I'd be interested in how this works out for you - how, and how much.

Cost me $170 to ship to Ohio just now. 1 day

How about shipping fresh, not frozen? Anybody had success with that?

I wouldn't recommend it. It could get delayed somewhere in the shipping and arrive hours later than expected. If you want to make sure the person who you are sending the meat too will be able to eat it... freeze it

Make sure you put some sort of insulation (like cardboard) between your frozen fish and the dry ice...

I kept some salmon and rockfish frozen rock solid on a 3-4 day road trip home from Washington using dry ice. It definitely works if you do it right.


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Maybe check with a local wholesale fish supplier.
They might be able to advise.

Also, I have a couple of small styro boxes I get meds in that need to be kept cold and disposable ice packs.
They are about 12x10x12 (ish)...
I can start saving them for you if that helps.

I've done a couple of shipments of frozen fish cross country. Got myself a cheap Styrofoam cooler from the grocery store ($5), bought some dry ice from a local liquor store ($5-10), and shipped it 2-day from the USPS (~$40). It's a pain, but the fish has always gotten there frozen.

Thank you all for the recommendation. I will talk to carriers first.

I've done a couple of shipments of frozen fish cross country. Got myself a cheap Styrofoam cooler from the grocery store ($5), bought some dry ice from a local liquor store ($5-10), and shipped it 2-day from the USPS (~$40). It's a pain, but the fish has always gotten there frozen.

That is assuring. Thank you!

Maybe check with a local wholesale fish supplier.
They might be able to advise.

Also, I have a couple of small styro boxes I get meds in that need to be kept cold and disposable ice packs.
They are about 12x10x12 (ish)...
I can start saving them for you if that helps.

Thanks for the offer. I am thinking to ship minimally 30lb of fish at once. 12x10x12 sounds a little hard to fit all of that in. But again, thanks for your offer!

Thanks for the offer. I am thinking to ship minimally 30lb of fish at once. 12x10x12 sounds a little hard to fit all of that in. But again, thanks for your offer!

Just make sure there are no air bubbles...   

Check with the shipping company before committing to dry ice.  That's a hazard that can cause problems in confined spaces (CO2 displacing oxygen) and a possible explosion if packed super tight.  Ever put dry ice in a plastic bottle with a little water?  Hours of explosive fun!

I've shipped salmon from Alaska.  Fish was frozen and packed with freezer packs in a styrofoam cooler.  It's all still frozen after 2 day shipping.