362 



FISHERY BULLETIN OF THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



able in the preparation of the table to employ a greater number of intervals at depths 

 less than 61 feet than was necessary in the tabulation of the data for the whitefish 

 and the lake trout. 



No data are available on the abundance of yellow pike in shallow water in May, 

 but in June legal-sized fish (iy 2 pounds or larger) were plentiful in the lifts from 

 31-60 feet. In both May and June legal-sized yellow pike were totally lacking in all 

 lifts from depths greater than 90 feet. The catch per lift in shallow water (less than 

 61 feet) declined in July and August. At the same time legal yellow pike penetrated 

 to the greatest depths from which deep trap nets were lifted. The abundance at 

 depths of more than 80 feet was generally higher in August than in July. Legal 

 yellow pike were still present in the deeper water in September and October. The 

 distribution in September was irregular. An average of 17.0 fish per lift was obtained 

 at 111-120 feet, while yellow pike either were scarce or lacking in the lifts from other 

 depths. 



Undersized yellow pike as well as legal fish were abundant in 31-60 feet in June 

 (with the greatest abundance in 31-40 feet) and absent from depths beyond 90 feet 

 in both May and June. Illegal yellow pike had penetrated to a depth of 101-110 feet 

 in July and 111-120 feet in August and September. None were taken in any month 

 from water deeper than 120 feet. 



Not only did illegal yellow pike fail to range as deep in summer as did fish of 

 legal size, but apparently a smaller percentage of them left the shallow water. In 



Table 33. — Number of yellow pike per lift of pound nets and deep trap nets in the Saginaw Bay area (ports 

 of Au Sable-Oscoda, East Tawas, and Bay Port), 1931-1932 



[Number of lifts in parentheses] 



