D. — THE FISHING-GROUNDS OF THE GEEAT LAKES. 



By LUDWICr KUMLIEN AND FREDERICK W. TRUE. 



19. LAKE SUPERIOK. 



On accouut of the peculiar nature of tlie fisheries of the Great Lakes, the flshiug-grouuds are 

 all located comparatively near shore. In cousidering them, we shall begin at the western end of 

 Lake Superior, and proceed eastward and southward toward the eastern end of Lake Ontario. 



Isle Eoyale to KE^VEENA^Y Point. — Gill-net grounds of considerable importance extend 

 almost without a break along the northwestern and southern shores of Lake Superior, from Isle 

 Koyale to within a few miles of Keweenaw Point, a distance of more than three hundred miles. 

 The bottom is everywhere clayey, except about the Apostle Islands, where it is sandy and rocky. 

 On the northwest shore of the lake, the depth of water at the outer limit of the grounds varies 

 from eighty to one hundred and forty fathoms, but on the south shore it is much less, being not 

 greater than eighty fathoms at any point. 



The grounds ou the northwest shore are visited by Duluth fishermen in the fall. They fish 

 commonly about forty-live miles from the village, but frequently go forty or fifty miles further 

 north. In the spring and summer they set their nets at different points along the south shore, 

 between Duluth and the Apostle Islands, but in the earlier i)art of the season they fish mostly 

 at a station about twenty miles east of the village. 



A portion of the grounds, extendiug eastward from the Apostle Islands one hundred and 

 twenty-five miles, is visited by the fishermen of Bayfield and Ashland. The most favorable 

 localities are off Iron Elver and Little Girl's Poiut, and in the viciuity of the Porcupine Mountains 

 and Sleeping Eiver. Different stations from Bark Eiver to beyond Ontonagon are occupied at 

 dififerent times, according to the season and the movements of the fish. In the fall the nets 

 are removed from the south shore and carried across the lake to Isle Eoyale. 



The pound-net grounds of this district are located among the Apostle Islands and in the 

 immediate vicinity. Other portions of the coast are too much exposed to the violence of storms, 

 and in other respects are unsuitable for pound fishing. We may excei)t, however, the sandy bar 

 near the entrance to Superior City, where, in 1879, two pouuds were located. During the same 

 year one pound was set in Bark Bay, three in Siskowit Bay, sixteen among the Apostle Islands, 

 mainly inshore, and from the islands nearest the mainland, and seven ou the south side of the 

 long sandy liar at the entrance of Chaquamegon Bay. 



The most westerly seiuing-grounds of the lakes are at Superior City and Fond du Lac. In the 

 former locality a very little seiuiug for whitefish is prosecuted late in the fall. At Foud du Lac, 

 at the head of Saint Louis Bay, the seining is more extensive, but the catch consists entirely of 

 pike. There are many selningreaches farther to the eastward, between Bark Eiver and Bayfield, 

 particularly iu the smaller bays and among the islands, but the grounds are changed so often 

 that it is quite impossible to locate them accurately. Bark Point, however, may be mentioned as 

 one of the most favorable localities. 



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