FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 371 



land County, in Wiscoiisiu, has a large wliitelish catch, the yield being 

 greater than in any other county on the lake except Chippewa. 



I^ext to the whitelish in general importance is the lake trout. The 

 cold, deej) waters of this lake are well adapted to this fish, which is 

 here found in greater abundance and of larger size than in any other 

 lake, with the possible exception of Lake Michigan. In the gill-net 

 fishery carried on with vessels, and also in the shore gill-net fishery, 

 it is the most promnient fish, but in the pound-net fishery it is of shght 

 vahie compared with whitefish. Considerable quantities are taken in 

 ice fishing, and small catches are made in the minor fishing carried on 

 with spears, fyke nets, and seines. The average weight of the fish mar- 

 keted is about pounds, but very large examples are not uncommon. 



The variety of the trout known as the siscowet is found onlj^ in deep 

 water. It is taken with trawl lines and gill nets at a depth of 000 to 

 800 feet. While extremely abundant and of large size, there is scarcely 

 any demand for it in a fresh state, owing to its excessive fatness. A 

 limited demand exists for it in a salted condition. In the more north- 

 ern parts of the lake, where it is most numerous and where the largest 

 quantities are taken, the fishermen report that it is always abundant, 

 but they will only catch it v^heu other fish that are in greater demand 

 and more easily taken are scarce. The weight of the siscowet is 

 from 3 to 15 pounds. Compared with 1885, the catch of siscowet shows 

 a large decrease; this, however, is due entirely to the demand. 

 • The lake herring is abundant throughout the lake, but, being 

 regarded as a cheap fish, it has little market value at the present time. 

 The small catch reported was taken chiefly in the gill nets of Houghton, 

 Ashland, and Bayfield counties and the seines of IMarquette County. 

 A few'fish, caught in gill nets, are used as bait in the trawl-line fishery 

 for trout. In the year covered by the investigation on which this 

 paper is based a very large sui^ply of herring was observed; but the 

 low price and small demand deterred the fishermen from taking it, and 

 the catch was much less than in 1885. 



The pike perches, which are of great importance in lakes Erie and 

 Ontario, are taken in smaller quantities and appear to be less abun- 

 dant in Lake Superior than in any other lake. Only a few thousand 

 pounds are annually taken, principally in the pound-net fishery of 

 Chippewa and Ashland counties and in the fyke-net fishery of the 

 latter county. The wall-eyed pike caught in this lake are shipped to 

 market in a round condition, thus constituting a notable exception in 

 the Nsh trade; they are sold in an undressed state to supply a special 

 demand for hard (ish coming from the Jewish population. 



The catch of sturgeon in this lake has always been small. The fish 

 appears ta be less abundant than in the shallower, warmer waters of 

 the lower lakes. In many places where sturgeon are incidentally caught 

 no value is attached to them, and in but few localities are any si)ccial 

 ettbrts made to sccnrethem. The l)ulk of tlie catch is taken in i>ound 

 nets in Chippewa County, Mich. The average weight of the fish is 

 about GO pounds. 



