FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 441 



l^otes on the commercial fishes. — The fish now of greatest economic 

 vahie in Lake Ontario does not occupy a corresponding rank in any 

 other lake, although of great prominence in other parts of the Great 

 Lakes basin ; this is the wall-eyed pike, locally known also as the pick- 

 erel and yellow pike. Its relative as well as its actual importance has 

 gi-eatly increased of late years, owing to the scarcity of whiteflsh and 

 trout, which requires the fishermen to take other fish in order to make 

 their business remunerative. The fish is always in demand, at higher 

 prices than are commanded by any other fishes, and throughout the 

 eastern end of the lake its abundance determines the financial success 

 of the fishermen. Fishermen who formerly sought only whitefish and 

 trout, now confine their attention to the wall-eyed pike, and it is of the 

 utmost consequence to the fishing interests that the supply of this fish 

 be maintained. Fortunately the spawning season is such as to insure 

 the almost uninterrupted completion of the reproductive function before 

 the opening of the fishing operations. The fish spends the winter in 

 the decider parts of the lake. In April it appears in the inshore waters 

 and then and there undergoes the spawning process. In early summer 

 it frequents the shoals in the lake, where the principal part of the catch 

 is taken : and on the approach of cold weather it again retires to the 

 deep water. The fish subsist in large part on the alewive [Clupea 

 pseudoharengus) and are reported to have increased in size as the result 

 of the abundant food furnished by the presence of that exotic species. 

 The fish is taken chiefly in the trap nets set in the eastern part of the 

 lake. In Jefferson County, where most of the traps are owned, it con- 

 stitutes one-third the total quantity of the catch, and yields three-fifths 

 the income of the fishermen. Small numbers are taken with gill nets, 

 seines, and lines. The average weight of the fish is 4 pounds and the 

 maximum about 11 pounds. 



The subspecies of the wall-eyed pike, generally known as the blue 

 pike, which is a prominent fish in Lake Erie, is not very common in 

 this lake. In 1891, however, it was found in very large numbers in 

 the vicinity of Oswego, attaining greater abundance than at any pre- 

 vious time in many years. The other species of pike perch, the sauger, 

 which is also a conspicuous factor in the fisheries of the adjoining lake, 

 does not occur in commercial abundance in Lake Ontario. 



The sturgeon, which occupies the second position in this lake, is like- 

 wise far from having the same relative importance in other parts of 

 the lake region. While the fish is manifestly scarcer than formerly, 

 the present supply is about the same as in 1880, owing to the increased 

 efibrts made by the fishermen to keep up the output as a result of 

 steady demand and good prices. It is taken chiefly with gill nets and 

 set lines, and is most abundant in the eastern end of the lake, altliough 

 considerable quantities are also taken on set lines in Niagara and 

 Orleans counties, whicli occupy the western sliore line. 



Three species of whitefishes have commercial importance in this lake. 

 The common whitelish has been of late years so scarce that it has had 



