66 



FISHES AND FISHING IN SUNAPEE LAKE. 



BY NEW HAMFSHIRE. 



1888 200, 000 



1889 250, 000 



1891 70, 000 



1892 105, 000 



1894 200, 000 



1897 70, 000 



1898 90,000 



Total 985,000 



BY BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



1903 o 21, 025 



1904 16, 000 



1905 157, 499 



1906 213,163 



1908 191,736 



1909 229,736 



1910 171,029 



1911 79,685 



Total 1,079,873 



In 1890, 90,000 were planted by the State in other waters but none 

 in Sunapee. The total number planted in Sunapee Lake from 1888 

 to 1911, inclusive, according to these figures, is 2,064,873. 



The records of Mr. James D. De Rocher, of the United States Fish- 

 eries station at Nashua, who has been in charge of the Sunapee Lake 

 field station since 1904, show the catches of white trout in each year 

 as indicated in the following table: 



Catches of White Trout in Sunapee Lake. 



It is variously claimed and disclaimed that the white trout are 

 increasing in number. There was a great faUing off in the catch of 

 1904 over previous catches by the State commission, but this may 

 have been due to imperfect or incomplete methods of catching them, 

 or bad weather. In 1905 the catch about doubled that of the year 

 before. In 1906 there was an increase of 49. In 1907 it fell off 56, 

 but rose again in 1908 by an increase of 41 over 1907. In 1909 it 

 dropped again to 281 less than the year before and in 1910 to 74 less 

 than 1909, but 1911 brought it up to within 64 of the 1906 catch, 

 the largest of the eight years. Yet there was a vacillating decline 

 from 1906. The increase in 1911 was encouraging, as it possibly 

 indicates an increase that may be maintained. But if the fish are 

 increasing in numbers they are decreasing in size. It is only neces- 

 sary to refer to the commissioners' reports of the early status of this 

 fish in Sunapee Lake and compare it with Mr. De Rocher's statement, 

 supported by his records, to substantiate this view. 



o Includes 4,200 fingerlings. 



