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Fisheries Management
in Swan Lake
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Region B Fisheries – Wes Ashe, Jason Seiders, Scott Davis
Swan Lake Lake Info
• ~1,400 surface acres
• Average depth = 34 ft., Max depth = 87 ft.
• Above average water quality
• Oligotrophic – low nutrient content & algal production
• Moderate development along perimeter
Swan Lake – Current Regulations
Ice Fishing:
• Open in January & February only
• 2 lines/angler
• Daily bag limit – 2 salmon - 14”, 2 togue - 18”
Open Water Fishing:
• Open April – September
• Closed October – December - togue spawning
• Same daily bag limits
Regulations
Swan Lake – Stocking History Stocking
YEAR BROOK TROUT SALMON
2000 7450 850
2001 4100 850
2002 4100 850
2003 4100 850
2004 5320 850
2005 4100 0
2006 4100 0
2007 2285 600
2008 2200 500
2009 2250 600
2010 2350 600
2011 2350 600
2012 2400 600
2013 2500 600
2014 2500 600
2015 2000 600
Swan Lake – Fish Assemblage Fishes
Landlocked salmon
Lake trout
Brook trout
Rainbow smelt
Smallmouth bass
Largemouth bass
White perch
Yellow perch
Chain pickerel
White sucker
Brown bullhead
American eel
Pumpkinseed sunfish
Several minnow species
**21 total fish species**
Togue & Salmon Togue &
Salmon
Swan Lake Togue
-Stocked by MDIFW from 1971-1981
-Population now wild & self-sustaining
-Consume a variety of fish & insects
-Stocked by MDIFW since 1940
-Stocking numbers have fluctuated
-Population has few wild fish
-Consume smelt almost exclusively
Swan Lake Salmon
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Year
Inch
es
Average Salmon Length – Volunteer Anglers
Volunteer
Anglers
2 fish, 14” Bag Limit:
0
20
40
60
80
100
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Year
Salmon Catch Rates – Volunteer Anglers
Volunteer
Anglers
2 fish, 14” Bag Limit:
An
gli
ng H
ou
rs p
er F
ish
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Year
Inch
es
Average Togue Length – Volunteer Anglers
Volunteer
Anglers
1 fish, 23” 2 fish, 18” Bag Limit:
Year
An
gli
ng H
ou
rs p
er F
ish
Togue Catch Rates – Volunteer Anglers
Volunteer
Anglers
1 fish, 23” 2 fish, 18” Bag Limit:
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
Average Salmon Length - Trapnetting
Trapnet
Data
14
16
18
20
22
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Inch
es
Year
2 fish, 14” Bag Limit:
Average Salmon Length - Trapnetting
Trapnet
Data
14
16
18
20
22
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Remember, no salmon were
stocked in 2005 & 2006
Inch
es
Year
2 fish, 14” Bag Limit:
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Average Salmon Weight - Trapnetting
Trapnet
Data P
ou
nd
s
Year
2 fish, 14” Bag Limit:
Average Togue Length - Trapnetting Trapnet
Data In
ches
Year
20
22
24
26
28
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
1 fish, 23” Bag Limit: 2 fish, 18”
2
4
6
8
1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Average Togue Weight - Trapnetting Trapnet
Data P
ou
nd
s
Year
Bag Limit: 2 fish, 18” 1 fish, 23”
Winter Creel Survey Results Winter
Creel Survey
Swan Lake - 2015 Lake St. George - 2014
Acreage 1388 1040
Swan
Lake
Lake St.
George
Winter Creel Survey Results Winter
Creel Survey
Swan Lake - 2015 Lake St. George - 2014
Acreage 1388 1040
Ice Fishing Season Jan & Feb Jan & Feb
Winter Creel Survey Results Winter
Creel Survey
Swan Lake - 2015 Lake St. George - 2014
Acreage 1388 1040
Ice Fishing Season Jan & Feb Jan & Feb
# of Anglers 843 2872
Winter Creel Survey Results Winter
Creel Survey
Swan Lake - 2015 Lake St. George - 2014
Acreage 1388 1040
Ice Fishing Season Jan & Feb Jan & Feb
# of Anglers 843 2872
# of Parties 286 1053
Winter Creel Survey Results Winter
Creel Survey
Swan Lake - 2015 Lake St. George - 2014
Acreage 1388 1040
Ice Fishing Season Jan & Feb Jan & Feb
# of Anglers 843 2872
# of Parties 286 1053
# of Brook Trout Harvested 33 435
Winter Creel Survey Results Winter
Creel Survey
Swan Lake - 2015 Lake St. George - 2014
Acreage 1388 1040
Ice Fishing Season Jan & Feb Jan & Feb
# of Anglers 843 2872
# of Parties 286 1053
# of Brook Trout Harvested 33 435
# of Salmon Harvested 23 168
Winter Creel Survey Results Winter
Creel Survey
Swan Lake - 2015 Lake St. George - 2014
Acreage 1388 1040
Ice Fishing Season Jan & Feb Jan & Feb
# of Anglers 843 2872
# of Parties 286 1053
# of Brook Trout Harvested 33 435
# of Salmon Harvested 23 168
# of Togue Harvested 73 --
Summary Summary
• Salmon (& brook trout) are stocked at high densities, especially
in a water w/ wild togue & sensitive rainbow smelt populations
• Volunteer angler data showed decline in salmon/togue size, and a
dramatic increase in catch rates
• Trapnet data revealed a precipitous decline in salmon/togue size
over past two decades
• Creel survey indicated low angler use and few salmon (or brook
trout) harvested
Future Management Future
Management
1) Decrease salmon stocking number from 600 to 400
2) Extend ice fishing season to include March
3) Reduce brook trout stockings
• Provide year-round brook trout program in Goose R.
4) Assess togue and salmon populations with more frequent
trapnetting and creel surveys moving forward
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