FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 373 



fishery is tlie wliitefisli, althongii in P.arag'a, Cliippewa, and Isle Eoyale 

 counties, MichiAaii, the lake trout is of considerable importance. 



Gill nets are employed in every county bordering- on the lake, but 

 are specially important, on account of their number and catch, in 

 Alger, Chippewa, Houghton, Isle Royale, Keweenaw, and Marquette 

 counties in Michigan, and Ashland and Bayfield counties in Wisconsin. 

 Vessels are employed in the gill-net fishery of Chippewa and Mar- 

 qnette counties in Michigan, St. Louis County in Minnesota, and Bay- 

 field Connty in Wisconsin. The number of vessels so engaged was 7, 

 3 of which were in ]\Iarquette County, 2 in Chippewa County, and 1 in 

 each of the other counties. The 1,318 gill nets operated from the 

 vessels had a value of $18,438 and a length of 1,017,976 feet, or 193 

 miles, an average of 27^- miles to each vessel. The gill nets fished from 

 small boats numbered 4,65(3; these, valued at $45,038, had a com- 

 bined length of 2,352,560 feet, or 446 miles. The gill nets are mostly 

 machine-made; a few, however, are made by hand by the fishermen's 

 families during the winter. 



Considerable ice fishing is done with hand lines along certain parts 

 of the shore. The method followed in this lake is somewhat different 

 from that pursued in other places. As soon as the ice is firm enough 

 to bear the weight of the meu, regular fishermen and semi-professionals 

 begin their winter work or sport. Through a hole cut in the ice a line 6 

 feet long is dropped, supported by a small stick which runs across the 

 hole and is soon firmly frozen on either side. To the line a single hook 

 is attached, although sometimes 2 hooks are used on each line. The 

 lines, baited with fresh herring, are left to fish themselves. One man 

 will sometimes operate as many as 100 lines. These are visited every 

 morning. The catch, consisting almost entirely of lake trout, is 

 removed, and the hooks newly baited. In the western part of the lake 

 a similar method is followed, but the lines are fished deeper, being 18 

 feet long. Trout is the only fish thus taken in noticeable quantities, 

 although a few pike perch are caught in places. 



Set lines, or trot lines, are used, to a limited extent, in a number of 

 counties on this lake. The usual method of rigging the lines is to 

 attach 50 hooks to each line, the hooks being 30 feet apart. These are 

 baited with herring. They are set mostly for lake trout, and are fished 

 in water from 100 to 130 fathoms deep. When fished for lake trout, 

 the lines are buoyed about 3 fathoms from the bottom; but in fishing 

 for siscowet, they are used directly on the bottom. Besides lake trout 

 a few sturgeon and pike perch are caught. 



The use of dip nets is restricted to the Chippewa Indians living in 

 the vicinity of the rapids of St. Mary River. No su(!h lisliery is carried 

 on in other lakes. While the method is primitive, the fishing-ground 

 limited in extent, and the season short, relatively large quantities of 

 fish are taken. The fish obtained are chiefiy whitefish, although small 

 quantities of lake trout, pike, pike perch, suckers, and other minor fish 

 are also caught j a few brook trout are also taken. The State law 



