stable of the three most abundant species (yellow 

 perch, smelt, and alewife). although the percentage 

 of smelt in the catches showed a slight decline from 

 1962 to 1966. 



The largest quantities of smelt were taken from 

 the Eastern Basin where it remained the dominant 

 species throughout the study. The majority of drags 

 that produced catches in excess of 100 pounds were 

 at depths of 9 to 30 fathoms. The largest catch of 

 smelt (1,120 pounds) was taken at 19 fathoms 

 northeast of Erie, Pa., during Cruise 4. 



From the Western Basin, only 5% of the drags 

 produced catches of 50 to 80 pounds taken from 4 

 and 5 fathoms; in the Central Basin, catches ranged 

 from 1 to 470 pounds and varied from 3 to 13 

 fathoms. 



Alewife 



During the study period the number of pounds 

 taken by the trawl of alewife progressively in- 

 creased to the point where this species dominated 

 the total catch landed in 1966. In terms of pounds, 

 the alewife landings in 1966 (6,392 pounds) were 

 nearly 10 times greater than those made during 

 Cruise 4 (September-October 1962) and 41 times 

 greater than those made during Cruise 11 (May- 

 June 1963). Alewife landings during Cruise 4 were 

 taken mainly from the Western and Central Basins, 

 but landings during Cruise 1 1 came almost exclu- 

 sively from the Western Basin. Catches landed dur- 

 ing Cruise 36 (October 1966) were primarily from 

 the Western and Central Basins, although the size 

 of catches taken from the Eastern Basin increased 

 somewhat. 



Throughout the period, alewife was taken from 

 the Western Basin at depths of 3 to 7 fathoms; the 

 best concentrations were at 4 to 5 fathoms. Central 

 Basin catches ranged from 3 to 13 fathoms, but best 

 concentrations were at 10 to 13 fathoms. Eastern 

 Basin catches were scattered between 10 and 30 

 fathoms; the largest landing was taken from 15 

 fathoms. 



The largest catch of alewife (750 pounds) was 

 taken from the Western Basin in 4 fathoms, north- 

 east of the Maumee River during Cruise 36. 



Freshwater Drum 



Freshwater drum was the fourth most abundant 

 species in trawl catches through the study. A total 

 of 3,709 pounds were taken; best catches were from 



the Western Basin at 3 to 7 fathoms. Central Basin 

 catches were more sporadic: catches ranged from 1 

 to 70 pounds and were taken from water between 3 

 and 13 fathoms deep. Only a few (4 pounds) drum 

 were taken from the Eastern Basin through the en- 

 tire period. 



The largest catch of drum (950 pounds) was taken 

 from the Western Basin at 5 fathoms south of Rat- 

 tlesnake Island on 23 May 1963. 



Carp 



Carp, the fifth most abundant species in trawl 

 catches yielded landings of 2,939 pounds during the 

 study, slightly more than 86% of the carp came from 

 the Western Basin. All carp were caught in waters 

 from 3 to 10 fathoms deep, though better than 80% 

 of the carp came from 4 to 6 fathoms. Seven drags 

 in the Western Basin produced catches of 150 to 510 

 pounds. These catches were made east and west of 

 the North, Middle, and South Bass Islands. The 

 best catch (510 pounds) was taken from 4 fathoms 

 east of South Bass Island. More than 82% of the 359 

 pounds of carp from the Central Basin were taken 

 from 7 and 8 fathoms. The largest catch (120 

 pounds) was made at 7 fathoms from the extreme 

 western end of the Central Basin. The Eastern 

 Basin produced a total of only 46 pounds all from 

 two drags during Cruise 4. 



Gizzard Shad 



The sixth most abundant species, gizzard shad, 

 made up 2.5% of the total catch; 1,216 pounds were 

 taken in 55 drags. The largest number of gizzard shad 

 appeared in 1962 (643 pounds); during the 1963 explo- 

 ration, however, catches fell off dramatically to 

 where only 1 pound was taken. In 1966 catches in- 

 creased to the point where 55 pounds were taken from 

 30 drags. Though gizzard shad was taken at depths up 

 to 15 fathoms, most were taken at 4 to 8 fathoms. 

 Three catches exceeded 100 pounds, two catches 

 from the Western Basin during Cruise 36 (October 

 1966) and the third from the Central Basin during 

 Cruise 4. 



Miscellaneous Species 



The following species, in order of descending 

 poundage, were taken in trawl catches from Lake 

 Erie: channel catfish; white bass; goldfish; walleye; 

 spottail shiner, Notropis hudsonius; emerald 

 shiner, Notropis atherinoides; white suckers, 



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