FISHEEIES OF THE GREAT LAKES. 



387 



The gill-iiet fishery prosecuted from small boats is rather more impor 

 tant in Michigan than in Wisconsin. The counties maintaining the 

 most extensive fishing are Charlevoix, Delta, Manitou, and Schoolcraft 

 in Michigan, and Brown, Door, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc in Wiscon- 

 sin. The specially important counties are Schoolcraft and Door. 



Of the 22,086 gill nets used from small boats, 11,928 were operated 

 by J.richigan fishermen and 9,673 by Wisconsin fishermen. The value 

 of the nets was $109,060, an average of a little less than $5 each. 



The species taken are trout, the various whitefishes, sturgeon, suck- 

 ers, bass, perch, pike, and wall eyed pike, theprincipal part of the catch 

 consisting of trout, common whitefish, lake herring, longjaws, and perch. 

 The nets used for all of these have about the same dimeuvsions, differ- 

 ing only in the size of the mesh. The average length is about 250 feet. 

 The whitefish, trout, and pike nets have about a4^-inchmesh, those for 

 sturgeon a 12-inch mesh, and those for x^erch and the miuor species 

 about a 2h or 3 inch mesh. 



The number of vessels engaged in the gill-net fishery of Lake Mich- 

 igan is 18, having a net tonnage yf 671.57, a value of $151,850, and 

 carrying outfits worth $19,703, exclusive of nets. The creAvs numbered 

 284, giving an average of about 6 men to a vessel. Tlie nets emjiloyed 

 numbered 18,810, and were valued at $106,851, an average of about $6 

 each. The vessels are operated from all parts of the lake, but are most 

 numerous in Milwaukee and Sheboygan counties in Wisconsin, and 

 Ottawa, Berrien, and Emmet counties in Michigan, where 29 of the 48 

 vessels made their headquarters. The distribution of the vessels among 

 the fishing centers of the lake is as follows : 



« 

 The (jUl-net fleet of Lake Michigan. 



Fishing headquarters. 



County. 



No. of 

 vessels. 



Michigau : 



Pt'toskey 



Chanevoix ... 



IS'orthj.iirt 



Fraulilurt 



Grand Haven. 



Sauna; uck 



Ludiiiston 



Maiiislii|ue ... 

 St. Joseph 



Total . 



Wisoonsin: 



Fi.sh Creek . . . 

 Sturgeon Bay, 

 Two Kivera . . 



Kenosha 



Milwaukee ... 



Sheboygan 



Racine 



Total . 



niiuois : 



Chicago 



Indiana: 



Michigan City. . 



Grand total. 



Emmet 



Charlevoix.. 

 Leelanaw. .. 



Benzie 



Ottawa 



Allegan 



Mason 



S hoohralt . 

 Berrien 



Door 



....do 



Manitowoc . 



Kenosha 



Milwaukee . 

 Sheboygan.. 

 lUicine.". 



Cook ... 

 Laporte. 



