102 



XORTIIERX FISHES 



Figure 10. Great Lakes whitefish, Coreyonus clupeaformis cltipcaformis, 



18 inches long. 



Saganaga. In Lake Superior they range over the bottom to depths of 

 several hundred feet. 



In some of the inland lakes local sports fishermen confuse them with 

 tullibee. The whitefish of the inland lakes can be readily distinguished 

 from the tulhbee usually found in the same lakes by the long, over- 

 hanging snout, which causes the mouth to be inferior. 



This species is the largest of the coregonids. The largest examples, 

 usually from Lake Superior, weigh upwards of 20 pounds, but the aver- 

 age weight hardly exceeds 4 pounds. Individuals weighing over 4 pounds 

 are termed "jumbos" by the commercial fishermen. Koelz reports 

 hybrids between the whitefish and the cisco as reaching the large size 

 of 11 pounds. 



In Minnesota, subspecies are found in lakes of the Arctic drainage, 

 such as Red Lake, Lake of the Woods, and Rainj^ Lake, and in various 

 boundary lakes as far east as Basswood, and in lakes of the Superior 

 drainage, such as the lakes at the head of the Pigeon, including McFar- 

 land and Pine lakes in Cook County. This subspecies is the large white- 

 fish of Leech Lake and Mille Lacs as well as Cass Lake, where it reaches 

 a weight of 8 pounds. 



Whitcfishes are abundant in Red Lake and are next in importance to 

 the walleyes in the commercial fisheries of that lake. Red Lake is also 

 the source of supply of whitefish eggs for hatchery operations conducted 

 by the State of Minnesota in cooperation with the Indian Service. Many 

 thousands of fry from Red Lake have been planted in Lake Superior 

 in an attempt to restore its fisheries, with some success. Although there 

 seems to be little external difference between the whitefish from Red 

 Lake and those from Lake Superior, the commercial fishermen on Lake 

 Superior seem to differentiate between the two. Certainly there is a 

 difference in the size of their eggs. Those from Lake Superior average 



