VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF GOLDEYE, 

 HIODON ALOSOIDES, IN FORT PECK RESERVOIR, MONTANA 



James L. Cooper' 



ABSTRACT 



In November 1967 and continuing into December 1969, the goldeye, Hiodon alosoides 

 (Rafinesque), in Fort Peck Reservoir, Mont., exhibited seasonal vertical distribution 

 patterns, which seemed to be related to the surface-water temperature. When surface- 

 water temperatures were above 8.9°C (summer and early fall), the goldeye congregated 

 near the surface. During the late fall, ice-covered period, and spring when surface 

 temperatures varied between 8.9° and 1.1 °C, the goldeye usually congregated between 

 the 8- and 32-ft level. However, it is the opinion of the author that the goldeye were 

 following the food source and were not responding to temperature per se. 



The goldeye, Hiodon alosoides (Rafinesque), 

 is one of two shadlike freshwater fishes belong- 

 ing to the Family Hiodontidae. Distribution 

 of goldeye is limited in the United States and 

 Canada (found mostly in the prairie States 

 and Provinces). The goldeye is generally de- 

 scribed as being found in shallow, turbid lakes 

 and large river systems (Battle and Sprules, 

 1960; Kennedy and Sprules, 1967) and in the 

 shallow waters of large lakes (Kennedy and 

 Sprules, 1967). However, Bajkov (1930) ob- 

 served that goldeye were found on the surface 

 over deep water in Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, 

 and Borges (1950) netted goldeye in the deep 

 water of the Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., in 

 September. 



Fort Peck Reservoir is basically a deep, 

 clear body of water in contrast to the lakes 

 generally described as being inhabited by gold- 

 eye. However, goldeye were netted during 1966 

 in quantity on the surface in clear water. Good 

 numbers of goldeye continued to be netted in 

 clear water during 1967-70 (unpublished data 

 available in annual report form of Montana 

 Fish and Game Department). 



Mature goldeye often exceed 15 inches in 

 total length in nutrient-rich bodies of water; 

 the Montana record is 18.7 inches total length 

 (Brown, 1971) and was taken from Nelson 



' Montana Fish and Game Department, Glasgow, MT 

 59230; present address: U.S. Forest Service, Kaniksu 

 National Forest, Sandpoint, ID 83864. 



Manuscript accepted November 1972. 

 FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 71. NO. Z. 1973. 



Reservoir, a fertile lake about 70 miles from 

 Fort Peck Reservoir. In Fort Peck Reservoir, 

 the goldeye rarely exceeded 15 inches in total 

 length and most were less than 14 inches 

 total length; they seldom lived longer than 8 

 years; most spawned in June; and they with- 

 stood water temperatures as low as 1.1 °C 

 (unpublished data). 



The coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisntch, 

 which was first introduced in 1969, was the 

 only species to compete with goldeye for food 

 in pelagic areas of the reservoir. In shallow- 

 water areas, the goldeye contributed to the 

 diets of sauger, Stizostedium canadeiise; wall- 

 eye, S. vitreitm vitreum; and northern pike, 

 Esox lucius (personal observations). 



The goldeye is one of the most important 

 commercial fish taken from the reservoir. The 

 goldeye are trucked to Winnipeg, Manitoba, 

 which has the only substantial commercial 

 market (up to 1 million lb of drawn fish are 

 utilized annually). However, it has only been 

 since 1967 that the market for goldeye from 

 Fort Peck Reservoir has been significant. 

 Declining populations of goldeye in Canadian 

 waters, probably due to overharvesting by 

 commercial fishermen, were responsible for the 

 interest in Fort Peck Reservoir's goldeye (gold- 

 eye harvest from Fort Peck Reservoir varied 

 from 53,318 to 199,279 lb round weight during 

 1967-71). See Battle and Sprules (1960), Gross- 

 lein and Smith (1959), and Kennedy and Sprules 



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