spring. Over 75 percent of the total catch was 

 taken during March and April. On a year 

 around basis, nearly 85 percent of the lake 

 herring were taken at depths from 15 to 25 

 fathoms. 



Whitefish 



Whitefish occurred in only 37 trawl drags, 

 and the total catch was 168 pounds. The aver- 

 age catch for effective effort was 4.6 pounds. 

 The best catch was 43 pounds taken in 15 

 fathoms off Saugatuck in July 1964. The east 

 shore from Ludington to Saugatuck produced 

 90 percent of the catch. Seventy-five per- 

 cent of the whitefish were taken in 10 to 15 

 fathoms. 



Table 12. — Occurrence of lake trout in exploratory trawl 

 catches in southern Lake Michigan, 1962-65 



Miscellaneous species 



The following species, in order of poundage, 

 were taken in the trawl catch in southern 

 Lake Michigan: carp, ( Cyprinus carpio); spot- 

 tail shiner, (Notropis hudsonius); trout-perch, 

 (Percopsis omiscomaycus); white sucker, 



lake trout; stur- 

 stickleback. 



( Catostomus commersoni 

 geon, (Acipenser 



fulvescens ) 



(Pungitius pungitius) and burbot, ( Lota lota ). 

 The occurrences, total pounds landed, catch 

 rate, and average catch for effective effort of 

 these species are given in table 5. 



None of the miscellaneous species were 

 taken frequently enough or in amounts large 

 enough to indicate a potential for commercial 

 harvesting with the bottom trawl in the near 

 future. Carp were taken in only four drags, 

 all in depths 10 fathoms or shallower. All but 

 3 pounds of the carp catch were taken off 

 Saugatuck. The best catch was 90 pounds. 

 Spottail shiners and trout-perch were com- 

 monly taken in small announts in the same 

 trawl catch. Up to 10 pounds of spottail shiners 

 per drag were taken in 5 to 30 fathoms. Trout- 

 perch were taken up to 3 pounds per drag in 5 

 to 25 fathoms. Lake trout were encountered 

 very infrequently before the last cruise (30) 

 when nine recently stocked trout were recov- 

 ered off Manitowoc and Ludington (table 12). 

 A single 5-pound sturgeon was taken in 

 January 1964 in 15 fathoms off Saugatuck. 

 Sticklebacks, suckers, and burbot were taken 

 in very small amounts on infrequent oc- 

 casions . 



Adult sea lampreys were occasionally found 

 in the trawl catches (table 13). Twelve lampreys 

 were taken in 1962, two in 1963, four in 1964, 

 and none in 1965. Most were taken in 20 to 25 

 fathoms, and 15 of 18 were taken along the 

 west shore. 



Table 13. --Occurrence of adult sea lampreys in exploratory 

 trawl catches in southern Lake Michigan, 1962-65 



17 



