Fishery bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service - NOAA

WHITEFISH FISHERY OF LAKES HURON AND MICHIGAN 363
'the shallow-water lifts-'(less than 71 feet) the average numbers of illegal yellow pike
per lift were consistently'several times as great as the numbers of legal fish. .Especially
noteworthy were the large catches of undersized fish at these depths in July and
August, months in which legal fish were scarce 'in shallow water. At the greater
depths, however, the numbers of legal and illegal yellow pike per lift differed only
slightly and in a random manner.
A total of seven yellow pike (all of legal size) was taken in northern Lake Huron
(Cheboygan and Rogers City area). One of these fish was caught in 71-80 feet in
July and the remaining six in 41-70 feet in September.
Yellow pike were scarce, at all depths on the Alpena-Ossineke grounds, but were
more numerous at depths Jess than 70 feet than at greater depths. No yellow pike
were taken in water deeper than 90 feet before July. A few individuals (both legal
.and illegal) penetrated to depths of at least 111-120 feet in July and August. (No
nets were lifted beyond 120 feet in these months and in September—see table 24.) In
September a total of three legal fish but no illegal fish was taken from depths of
101-120 feet.
The single lift from shallow water (41-60 feet) off Harbor Beach contained eight
legal and three illegal yellow pike. The maximum depths at which legal fish were
taken were 111-120 feet in August and more than 120 feet in September and October.
No illegal yellow pike were captured in August, but in September and October fish of
this group penetrated to depths in excess of 120 feet.
Not one yellow pike was taken in the lifts of pound nets and deep trap nets in
northeastern Lake Michigan. In May a total of five fish (all legal) was captured in the
10 lifts in the Green Bay area from depths of less than 61 feet and 28 yellow pike
(10 legal and 18 illegal) were taken in the two lifts from 81-90 feet. No yellow pike
were caught in the Green Bay area in September.
BURBOT
Because of the small total number captured and the sporadic occurrence of burbot
(Lota maculosa) in the catches, a combination of the data for all localities appears to
provide the most valid description of the inshore bathymétrie distribution of the species
in Lake Huron (table 34). This table cannot serve as the basis for a detailed discussion;
attention will be called, however, to certain general trends. Burbot were scarce
or lacking at all depths from which nets were lifted in both May and June. In June
they occurred in both shallow water (less than 71 feet) and deep water (more than 100
TABLE 34.—Number of burbot per lift of pound nets and deep trap nets in Lake Huron, 1931-1932 (data for
all localities combined')
May
July
October
Month
120
0.2
(9)
0.8
(16)
0.3
(8)
1.2
(16)
2.8
(5)
2.8
(5)
1.1
'(56)