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