130 ALASKA FISHERIES AND FUR INDUSTRIES IN 1919. 



dons will vary much \vith the stage of water, and it may well he that 

 one bank will be more advantageous for the fish at one level and the 

 opposite shore at another water level. The situation deserves further 

 study. 



Unquestionably that stretch of water affords a most serious obsta- 

 cle, and, indeed, the only serious obstacle which is found to the 

 ascent of salmon in the Copper River. It doubtless delays them con- 

 siderably, and repeated efforts may be required to carry the fish 

 through the entire course of the rapids. Such a condition would 

 exercise a significant influence on the success of the dip netting car- 

 ried out there. 



LONG LAKE. 



This body of water, which lies close to the railroad and parallel 

 with it, has been frequently mentioned as an important spawning 

 ground for the salmon of the Copper River. Starting in on the out- 

 let creek a mile or two below the lake, the party walked upstream in 

 the water nearly as far as the lake itself. At that time (July 22) 

 the stream was so small that it is doubtful if any red salmon could 

 ascend it. The bottom was rocky in places and the passageway 

 badly choked by logs and brush. The stream bed had an average 

 width of possibly 6 or 7 feet, and the water averag(Hl about 6 inches 

 in depth. An abundance of fish food was noted, caddis-fly larv?e 

 being common. Several small fish were stirred up that measured 

 probably 4 or 5 inches in length and one Dolly Varden trout 8 inches 

 long was seen distinctly. A single group of a few timid fish fry 

 apparently working downstream seemed to be young silver salmon, 

 but none of these could be captured. A deep, well-worn bear path 

 at one point indicated that some animal was looking for the arrival 

 of food fish. 



At the lake a settler reported that the earliest run of salmon re- 

 corded previously was on July 28 some six or seven years ago. "About 

 a million salmon," according to his estimate, used to enter the lake, 

 but since the cannery had been established at the canyon hardly 

 any fish had come up. The normal run here used to be between 

 August 1 and early October. At one time in October he counted 

 over a hundred salmon entering the lake within 10 minutes. In 

 1917 the first fish arrived on August 16. In that group, which played 

 near the railroad trestle before passing out into the middle of the 

 lake, there were 17 salmon according to actual count. 



A motor boat in which to make a survey of the entire lake was 

 secured from the settler. The water seems to be fairly deep every- 

 where, the shores going off steeply and having only insignificant 

 stretches of gravel bottom in shallow water where spawning would 

 be possible. The depth of the Jake taken by line is said to vary 

 from 60 to 100 feet. It is apparently fed by springs, and there arc 

 no permanent streams to carry silt into it. At the head of the lake 

 was a small shallow area in which grayling were found building nests 

 and apparently getting ready to spawn. At two other points there 

 were gravel beds of insignificant size on which spawning would be 

 possible. Certain places showed good evidence that salmon had 

 spawned on this gravel in previous years. A few young salmon 

 fry were seen. Most of these were silvers and a very few were red 

 salmon 



