Progress Toward Lake Trout Restoration in Lake Michigan

Measures of larval lake whitefish length and abundance as early predictors of year-class strength in Lake Michigan

“…Stocking during 2000-2004 (1999-2003 year-classes) has averaged 2.3 million fish annually (Fig. 18), which is lower than the 3-6 million fish called for in the 1985 rehabilitation plan (Lake Michigan Lake Trout Technical Committee 1985; Holey et al 1995). Rehabilitation efforts have resulted in low to modest standing stocks lakewide (Fig.…”

Diet of lake trout and burbot in Northern Lake Michigan during spring: Evidence of ecological interaction

“…Once sustaining the largest commercial lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) fishery in the Great Lakes, lake trout in Lake Michigan were extirpated in the 1950s due to a combination of overfishing, sea lamprey (Pertromyzon marinus) predation, and habitat degradation (Holey et al, 1995). Rehabilitation efforts for this native piscivore began in 1965 with large scale stocking and have continued with the establishment of two offshore refuges in 1984-1985. Ongoing annual stocking efforts have averaged 2.7 million yearling lake trout of various strains since 1965, 50% of which have been stocked at offshore sites since 1985 (Bronte et al, 2007).…”

“…The Northern Refuge of Lake Michigan covers a large complex of offshore, shallow water reefs that were historically important for lake trout spawning in the region (Holey et al, 1995;Dawson et al, 1997). Since 1986, lake trout have been annually stocked on these reefs with the hope that these fish will imprint to the area, survive to maturity, and take advantage of this prime spawning habitat.…”

Predation on emergent lake trout fry in Lake Champlain

“…Although the events leading to the extirpation of lake trout from the lower four Great Lakes in the 1960s are understood, causes of the decline and disappearance of this species in Lake Champlain by 1900 are unclear (Ellrott and Marsden, 2004). Thus far, efforts to reestablish self-sustaining populations in the lower four Great Lakes and Lake Champlain have resulted in limited success (Cornelius et al, 1995;Elrod et al, 1995;Eshenroder et al, 1995;Holey et al, 1995;Reid et al, 2001;Ellrott and Marsden, 2004). In Lake Champlain, high fry densities have been measured at several reefs, but naturally-recruited juveniles and adults (identified by having a fin clipped) are rare to absent.…”