WHITEFISH FISHERY OF LAKES HURON AND MICHIGAN 305 



one million pounds only 5 times (1897, 1898, 1905, 1909, and 1912) during the 45 years. 

 The average annual production of 1895-1939 was 1,333,000 pounds. This average 

 may be accepted as an estimate of normal production in Georgian Bay. The relatively 

 good yields of 1933-1935 suggest an increase comparable (but less pronounced) to that 

 which took place in the same years in the Ontario waters of Lake Huron proper. Again 

 it may be observed that the change in the territory covered by the statistics collected 

 after 1921 showed no effect on the figures of yield. 



It may be noted here that the periods of decline and of increase in the production 

 of whitefish in the Michigan waters were followed a year or two later by similar periods 

 in the Ontario waters of Lake Huron. This correspondence suggests that the annual 

 fluctuations in ecological conditions on the two sides of the lake may be similar. The 

 changes in take in the Georgian Bay water?, however, showed no similarity with those 

 in Lake Huron proper. 



The totals for the entire lake indicate that the earlier years of the fishery were the 

 years of the heaviest yields. Especially noteworthy was the high production in the 

 period, 1889-1894, when the average annual catch was 6,295,000 pounds. 9 Subsequent 

 to 1894 the production of whitefish was relatively stable over a long period. The catch 

 rose above 3 million pounds only once (1916) in the period, 1895-1925, Ul and dropped 

 below 2 million pounds only 5 times (1897, 1898, 1905, 1912, and 1913). The average 

 production in this period (with the catch for 1908 omitted) was 2,351,000 pounds, which 

 yield may be accepted as the normal for the entire lake. Good catches in both Cana- 

 dian and United States waters made possible yields that were consistently above 3 

 million pounds in the years, 1926-1929 (average, 3,298,000 pounds). It was in the 

 period, 1930-1934, however, that the production of the modern fishery reached its greatest 

 heights. The take was greater than 4 million pounds in all 5 years and exceeded 5 

 million pounds in 3 years. The average was 5,087,000 pounds. The most recent of 

 the earlier years with comparable production was 1893. It is to be noted that Canadian 

 waters were largely responsible for the high production of the early years (1893 and 

 earlier), whereas in 1930-1934 United States waters accounted for the bulk of the 

 catch. In fact, the Canadian production exceeded that of the United States in every 

 year except 1914, 1922, 1926, and the years, 1930-1934. By reason of a continuous 

 decrease in production the average yield for 1935-1939 was only 2,645,000 pounds. The 

 catch of 1,645,000 pounds in 1939 was the lowest for which there is a record. The small 

 yield in that year can be attributed in large measure to the collapse of the fishery in 

 United States waters. 



LAKE MICHIGAN 



The first acceptable records of the production of whitefish in Lake Michigan 

 (table 1), as in the United States waters of Lake Huron, begin with the year 1889. 

 (The 1890 record for the State of Michigan includes species other than whitefish.) 11 

 Attention will be given first to the production in the State of Michigan waters, the 

 area with which the present report is most concerned. It is true also that the data 

 are more complete for the State of Michigan waters than for other regions of the lake 

 and that the production in these waters dominates the catch in the entire lake. 



The production of whitefish in the State of Michigan waters of Lake Michigan 

 was between 2 and 3 million pounds in 10 of the 19 years, 1889 and 1891-1908. 

 I See fig. 3.1 The catch was less than 2 million pounds in 6 years (less than l 1 ^ 

 million pounds in the 3 vears, 1894-1896) and was more than 3 million pounds in onlv 

 3 years (1889, 1907, and 1908). The 1889 yield of 5,005,000 pounds was the highest 

 for which there is a dependable record. The average for the period was 2,370,000 

 pounds. Production tended to decrease in the earlier span of years but to increase in 

 the later part of the period. 



• It is unlikely that the inclusion of the catch of pilots in the production figures of whitefish in State of Michigan waters in 1H90 affected this 

 average materially. 



10 No data for 1909-1911; the production of 3,060,000 pounds in 190S may be discounted because of the questionable accuracy of the data for 

 the Ontario waters of Huron proper in that year (p. 381). 



11 See appendix A for a discussion of thedefe-ts in the statistics for 1879 and 1SS5 and for the State of Michigan waters in 1S90 and appendix I) 

 for the 1040-1942 records. 



