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. Especi- 

 ally 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 less 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 bathymetric distribution of the species 

 in Lake Huron (table 34). This table cannot serve as the basis for a detailed discus- 

 sion; 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 mis and deep trap mis in Lake Huron, V.<M-1932 (data for 



all localities combined) 



[Number of lifts in parentheses] 



