Quantification of historic lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) spawning aggregations in Lake Michigan

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2290-2302 ◽  
Author(s):  
K A Dawson ◽  
R L Eshenroder ◽  
M E Holey ◽  
C Ward

We used commercial catch reports to determine site-specific characteristics of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) spawning aggregations in Michigan's and Wisconsin's waters of Lake Michigan before reproduction ceased in the 1950s. One hundred sites where annual catches exceeded 25 kg/year were identified. Two thirds of the catch was made in offshore waters and nearly half was made in the northeast sector of the lake. Catch was a better descriptor of the size of spawning aggregations than catch per unit effort (CPUE). CPUEs were not significantly different among onshore, offshore, and southern deepwater reefs. Spawning activity as measured by CPUE had peaked by the week beginning 29 October at all locations. Spawning aggregations were strongly clustered in the northeast section of the lake where Devonian rocks were subject to brecciation, i.e., fracturing and recementing following slumping. Areas zoned as refuges in the current lake trout rehabilitation plan account for 36% of the historical catch targeted at spawning aggregations. We recommend a refocusing of rehabilitation efforts in northern waters from sites where historical catches were modest to sites that produced the largest catches of lake trout aggregated for spawning.

1997 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 1031-1038
Author(s):  
C A Stow ◽  
L J Jackson ◽  
J F Amrhein

We examined data from 1984 to 1994 for five species of Lake Michigan salmonids to explore the relationship between total PCB concentration and percent lipid. When we compared mean species lipid and PCB values, we found a strong linear correlation. When we compared values among individuals, we found modest positive PCB:lipid associations in brown trout (Salmo trutta), chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) collected during spawning, but positive associations were not apparent among nonspawning individuals. Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) exhibited no discernible PCB:lipid relationship. Our results are not incompatible with previous observations that contaminants are differentially partitioned into lipids within a fish, but these results do suggest that lipids are not a major factor influencing contaminant uptake.


1983 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 681-698 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald J. Stewart ◽  
David Weininger ◽  
Donald V. Rottiers ◽  
Thomas A. Edsall

An energetics model is implemented for lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, and applied to the Lake Michigan population. It includes an egestion function allowing any proportional mix of fish and invertebrates in the diet, a growth model accounting for both ontogenetic and seasonal changes in energy-density of predator and prey, a model for typical in situ swimming speed, and reproductive energy losses due to gametes shed. Gross conversion efficiency of energy by lake trout over their life (21.8%) is about twice the efficiency of converting biomass to growth because they store large amounts of high-energy fats. Highest conversion efficiencies are obtained by relatively fast-growing individuals, and over half the annual energy assimilated by older age-classes may be shed as gametes. Sensitivity analysis indicates a general robustness of the model, especially for estimating consumption by fitting a known growth curve. Largest sensitivities were for the intercept and weight dependence coefficients of metabolism. Population biomass and associated predatory impact of a given cohort increase steadily for about 3.5 yr then decline steadily after fishing mortality becomes important in the fourth year in the lake. This slow response time precludes manipulation of lake trout stocking densities as a means to control short-term prey fluctuations. Predation by lake trout on alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, has been increasing steadily since 1965 to about 8 400 t∙yr−1, and is projected to rise to almost 12 000 t∙yr−1 by 1990.


1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 2063-2073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Pycha

Total mortality rates of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) of age VII and older from eastern Lake Superior were estimated from catch curves of age distributions each year in 1968–78. The instantaneous rate of total mortality Z varied from 0.62 to 2.31 in close synchrony with sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) wounding rates on lake trout. The regression of transformed Z on the index of lamprey wounding, accounted for over 89% of the variation in lake trout mortality (r2 = 0.893). An iterative method of estimating rates of exploitation u, instantaneous rates of fishing mortality F, K (a constant relating sample catch per unit effort to population size), instantaneous normal natural mortality rate M, and instantaneous rate of mortality due to sea lamprey predation L from the sample catch per unit effort and total catch by the fishery is presented. A second method using the results of a 1970–71 tagging study to estimate the mean F in 1970–77 yielded closely similar results to the above and is presented as corroboration. The estimates of u, F, and M appear to be reasonable. F ranged from 0.17 in 1974 to 0.42 in 1969 and M was estimated at 0.26. L varied from 0.21 in 1974 to 1.70 in 1968. Management implications of various policies concerning sea lamprey control, exploitation, and stocking are discussed.Key words: lake trout, sea lamprey, lamprey control, mortality, predation, Lake Superior, fishery, management


1980 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 2052-2056 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Moore ◽  
T. J. Lychwick

Increased sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) abundance in Green Bay during 1977 is documented utilizing sea lamprey counts and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) wounding as methods of measurement. Since lake trout rehabilitation began in 1965, sea lamprey predation has been consistently higher in Green Bay and Northern Lake Michigan than other areas of the lake. It appears that increased sea lamprey predation in Green Bay, above the former high levels, resulted in decreased abundance and increased mortality of lake trout. The increase in lampreys is related to the colonization of the Peshtigo River, Marinette County, Wisconsin.Key words: Green Bay, sea lamprey increases, Peshtigo River, lake trout, increased mortality


2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 1376-1387
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Kennedy ◽  
Paul J. Blanchfield ◽  
Karen A. Kidd ◽  
Michael J. Paterson ◽  
Cheryl L. Podemski ◽  
...  

We analyzed changes in the condition, early growth, and resource use of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) from a Boreal Shield lake in response to an experimental aquaculture operation. Annual small-scale commercial production of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) resulted in increased lake trout body condition during aquaculture operations, which was positively related to minnow catch per unit effort (CPUE). Incremental increases in growth led to larger lake trout following aquaculture. While the littoral energy assimilated by lake trout did not change linearly from 2002 to 2009, we observed a shift towards littoral energy use in the last year of aquaculture and for 2 years after the experiment, coincident with low densities of Mysis diluviana. Lake trout trophic position declined from 2002 to 2009, suggesting increased foraging on secondary versus tertiary consumers. Minnow and slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) CPUE increased by 5.2- and 5.5-fold, respectively, and Mysis diluviana densities decreased by 93%. Changes observed in the experimental lake were much greater than those observed in a nearby reference lake. Our results suggest that moderate nutrient enrichment from aquaculture may benefit lake trout in oligotrophic Boreal Shield lakes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document