406 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



whitefisli taken in gill nets is 4 to 6 pounds, though many fish weighing 

 from 20 to 22 pounds (dressed) are caught. In the pound nets the aver- 

 age weight of whitelish is 2J to 3 pounds. During the past two or 

 three years a great many small fish have been secured in pound nets. 

 In the fisheries of East TaAvas and Tawas City, in this county, there 

 have, according to Mr. William Braslian and Mr. Joseph Trudell, been 

 unmistakable signs of good results from whitefish propagation. Not- 

 withstanding the deleterious influence of large quantities of sawdust 

 and other mill refuse thrown on the fishing-grounds from mills at 

 Oscoda, Au Sable, East Tawas, and Tawas City, a larger run of small 

 whitefish has been observed than in many years. 



The principal fish taken in the important fisheries of Saginaw Bay 

 are herriug, perch, catfish, pike, pike perch, suckers, trout, and white- 

 fish, of which the pike and pike perch combined are the most impor- 

 tant. All of the principal fishermen in this region are ardent advocates 

 01 artificial propagation as a means of keeping up and increasing the 

 supply of fish. Many of the fishermen iu this local itj^ are desirous of 

 having the supply of "pickerel" (pike perch) increased by fish-culture. 



Messrs. C.Porter, James McCoy, I. S. Osborn, of Au Sable; Joseph 

 Lixey, of Oscoda, and other prominent fishermen of Iosco County, have 

 seen unmistakably good results from artificial i^ropagation in their 

 section, but think that whitefish will never be very abuudant again 

 until the throwing of mill refuse into the lake is prevented and the 

 taking of small, immature fish is prohibited. 



In the fisheries of Huron County, which borders partly on Saginaw 

 Bay and partly on the lake, lierring and pike perch are the most promi- 

 nent fish, although whitefish and othi'.r s[>ccies are also taken, and in 

 the oft'shore gill-net fishery from Porf, Hope and in tlie set-line fishery 

 trout are obtained. The herring and whitefish resort to the shores in 

 October and Noveinber, when most of the catch is taken. The pike 

 perch are found in greatest abundance iu spring, but there is also a 

 good run in fall. While trout are uncommon, the fish are large, aver- 

 aging 10 or 12 pounds in weight. The weights of the other fish are as 

 follows: Whitefish, 4 to 5 pounds; herring, one-half or three-fifths of a 

 pound ; pike perch, 3 to 9 pounds. A great many smaller pike perch 

 are also taken and sold as second-quality fish. 



Along the shores of this lake south of Saginaw Bay the most abun- 

 dant fish is the herring. It is most numerous during the months of 

 October, November, and December, and is taken in pound nets; its 

 average weight is three-fifths of a pound. It appears to be much more 

 abundant than in 1885, judging by the quantity taken and sold. Next 

 in value are sturgeon, pike perch, trout, and whitefish, alth{)ugh the 

 fishery for none of these is important as compared with that in the upper 

 part of the lake. The sturgeon have an average weight of 40 pounds^ 

 when dressed; the pike perch weigh 2 pounds, the trout 5 pounds, and 

 the whitefish 4 or 5 pounds. 



