recreational fishery in lake superior don schreiner, mndnr steve schram, widnr shawn sitar, midnr...

RECREATIONAL FISHERY IN LAKE SUPERIOR

Don Schreiner, MNDNR

Steve Schram, WIDNR

Shawn Sitar, MIDNR

Mike Petzold, OMNR

History of Recreational Fishing

• Native Americans – first anglers – subsistenceNative Americans – first anglers – subsistence

• Commercial fishing began - fur trade subsidizedCommercial fishing began - fur trade subsidized

• Commercial families started resorts began sport Commercial families started resorts began sport fishingfishing

History of Recreational Fishing

• Much of first angling experience was from Much of first angling experience was from shore/streamshore/stream

– Fly fishingFly fishing

– Elite class of anglersElite class of anglers

– Superior Fishing-Robert Barnwell Roosevelt-1865Superior Fishing-Robert Barnwell Roosevelt-1865

• First charter captains were commercial fishermanFirst charter captains were commercial fisherman

History

•Increased access roads

•New harbors/marinas

•WW II

•Sea Lamprey

HistoryHistory

• Sea lamprey controlSea lamprey control

• Introduced Pacific salmonIntroduced Pacific salmon

• Larger/safer boatsLarger/safer boats

• New electronics/techniqueNew electronics/technique

Characteristics of Fishery

• Stream fishery in spring and fall

– Targeted at introduced salmonids

• Lake fishery relatively near shore - summer

– Bottom bouncing and jigging for lake trout

– Planner boards for salmon

• Bays and estuaries - seasonal– Cool water species, splake, brown trout

Waters of Lake SuperiorBays0-240 ft (0-80 meters)> 240 ft (> 80 meters)

Creel or Angler Surveys

• Pressure – angler hours

• Number of fish harvested or caught

• CPUE – catch per effort or no. of fish/angler hr

Status – Creel Surveys

• Wisconsin – 1972 – 2000 May 1 – Sept. 30

• Minnesota – 1972 – 2000 Memorial W.E. – Sept. 30

• Michigan – 1987 – 2000 Standard sites May 1 – Sept. 30

• Ontario – Intermittent – selected sites - diaries

Pressure in U.S. Waters of Lake Superior

0100200300400500600700800

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Year

Ang

ler

Hou

rs (x

100

0)

Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan

Percent Pressure Among States in Lake Superior 1972-2000

Minnesota40%

Wisconsin32%

Michigan28%

*Michigan estimate is from 1987-00

Salmonids Caught in U.S. Waters of Lake Superior

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,00019

72

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Year

Num

ber

Cau

ght

Lake Trout Coho Salmon Chinook SalmonSiscowet Brown Trout Rainbow Trout

Salmonid Catch by Agency in U.S. Waters of Lake Superior

0

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,00019

72

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Year

Num

ber

Cau

ght

Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan

Trends in Catch of Major Salmonids in U.S. Waters of Lake Superior

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1972-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999Year

Pro

port

ion

of C

atch

Lake Trout Coho Salmon Chinook Salmon

*

Distribution of Major Salmonids in Catch from U.S. Waters of Lake Superior 1990-2000

Lake Trout67%

Coho Salmon17%

Chinook Salmon

8%

Brown Trout2%

Rainbow Trout1%

Siscowet5%

Distribution of Major Salmonids in Ontario Waters of Lake Superior 1987-1999

Chinook Salmon

13%

Brook Trout0.45%

Rainbow Trout

4%

Coho Salmon

4%

Lake Trout79%

CPUE for All Salmonids in the U.S. Waters of Lake Superior

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

19

72

19

74

19

76

19

78

19

80

19

82

19

84

19

86

19

88

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

Year

CP

UE

*

Pressure and CPUE for All Salmonids in the U.S. Waters of Lake Superior

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

19

72

19

74

19

76

19

78

19

80

19

82

19

84

19

86

19

88

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

Year

Pre

ss

ure

(x

10

00

Ho

urs

)

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

CP

UE

Total Pressure CPUE All Salmonids

*

CPUE for Salmonids in Lake Superior Recreational Fishery

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.2519

72

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Year

CP

UE

Lake Trout Coho Salmon Chinook SalmonRainbow Trout Brown Trout Siscowet

CPUE for Major Salmonids in Lake Superior by Agency

0.000.050.100.150.200.250.300.35

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

Year

CP

UE

Minnesota WisconsinMichigan Ontario

Number of Charter Captains in U.S. Waters of Lake Superior

020406080

100120140160

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Year

No.

of C

hart

er C

apta

ins

Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan

Comparison Between Overall Sport and Charter CPUE for U.S. Waters of

Lake Superior

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Year

CP

UE

Overall Charter

Comparison of Charter CPUE Among States

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Year

CPU

E

Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan

Estimates of Fishing Pressure in Days Among Upper Great Lakes

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Lake Superior Lake Michigan Lake Huron

Day

s F

ishi

ng (

Tho

usan

ds)

U.S. Residents Ontario Residents

****From Bence and Smith (1999)

Comparison of Salmonid CPUE Among Upper Great Lakes for Salmonids

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.2019

86

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

Year

CP

UE

Lake Superior Lake Michigan Lake Huron

Comparison of Charter CPUE Among Upper Great Lakes

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Year

CP

UE

Lake Superior Lake Michigan Lake Huron

Mean Size of Major Salmonids Caught Among Upper Great Lakes

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

CHS COS LAT

Mea

n Si

ze (l

bs/fi

sh)

L.Huron L.Michigan L.Superior**Estimates for L. Huron from 1990-1998, L. Michigan from 1995-1997, L. Superior from 1990-2000. For each lake, data were from lake-wide creels

Mean Catch Composition Among Upper Great Lakes

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Lake Superior Lake Michigan Lake Huron

Per

cent

of C

atch

Lake Trout Chinook Salmon Coho SalmonRainbow Trout Brown Trout Pink SalmonSiscowet

****L.Huron Estimates from 1986-1998, L.Michigan Estimates from 1991-2000, L. Superior Estimates from 1990-2000

Summary – Upper Lakes Recreational Fishery

• Fishing pressure much lower on Lake Superior

• CPUE of sport and charter fishery for Lake Superior equal to or greater than in Lakes Michigan and Huron

• Catch composition dominated by lake trout in L. Superior, chinook salmon in L. Huron and rainbow trout in L. Michigan

• Average size of all fish smaller in L. Superior

Summary – Lake Superior Recreational Fishery

• Fishing pressure has decreased since late 1980s, while catch rate has increased

• Annual catch of all salmonids averaged approximately 70,000 fish from 1990 - 2000

• Average CPUE is 0.15 for all salmonids from 1990-2000

• Approximately 67% of catch composed of lake trout, 17% coho and 8% chinook salmon