LAKE HERRING OF GREEN BAY, LAKE MICHIGAN 



91 



(6,320,000 to 9,122,000 pounds) compared to the 

 10-year period after 1936. 



Table 2. — Commercial catch of lake herring in Wisconsin 

 and Michigan waters of Green Bay, by quarters, 1936-53 



[In thousands of pounds] 



Note. — These data are from summaries of commeicial catch records made 

 by the V. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for Michigan waters and by the 

 Wisconsin Conservation Department. Data for Wisconsin prior to 1942 

 included lake herring taken in that area of Lake Michigan adjacent to Green 

 Bay, but catches in this area arc characteristically small and are not believed 

 to influence trends. 



Because of highly seasonal production and rapid 

 deterioration in handling and storage, the lake 

 herring brings a low average price (5 cents per 

 pound to the fishermen of Green Bay in 1952) and 

 much of the catch is used for animal food. Given 

 better markets and improved handling, the species 

 may become a more important source of human 

 food. 



The lake herring has some small value as a sport 

 fish. Its habit of feeding principally on small 

 planktonic organisms and its disinclination to 

 strike at lures has caused it to be overlooked by 

 anglers using conventional methods. During 

 recent years, however, fishermen have found that 

 when lake herring are feeding on mayflies tliej' 

 will also strike at artificial flies. A sports fishery 

 during the period of mayfly emergence is growing 

 rapidly in popularity in the northern areas of 

 Lakes Huron and Michigan. Some large lake 

 herring are also taken with minnows as bait. A 

 certain amount of angling for lake herring is 

 carried on through the ice botli on the Great Lakes 

 and on inland lakes. 



COLLECTION OF DATA 



Scale samples and data on weight, length, sex, 

 and state of development of se.x organs w'erc ob- 

 tained on 4,390 specimens. Collections made 

 between May 26, 1948, and January 22, 1952, 

 w^ere taken from commeicial pound nets and gill 

 nets as indicated in table 3. Scale samples of 

 May, July, and October, 1952, were from fish 

 captured in experimental gill nets. Table 4 lists 

 all fish taken in experimental gill nets for whi(rh 

 length and weight measurements and sex determi- 

 nations were made; in some of the May collec- 

 tions, however, weight and sex data are missing. 



Table 3. — Collections of Green Bay lake herring from which 

 scale samples were taken, 1948-5S 



' See text, p. 95, for comment* on mesh sizes of pound nets. 

 » This is a selected sample. All other samples are either random or repre- 

 sent the entire catch of one net. 



388748 O — 57- 



