444 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The principal lish taken in gill nets are lake heiring, long-jaw white- 

 fish, and stuigeoM, all of which are thus caught in larger quantities 

 than with any otiier kind of apparatus. The gill-net catch of black 

 bass and whiteflsh is also larger than by other means. 



Fyke nets are the most important of the remaining forms of apparatus 

 employed in this lake. In the eastern part of the lake they are, to a 

 great extent, operated by trap-net fishermen, and in other sections of 

 the lake very few nets are used. by men not engaged in other fisheries. 

 Fykes are mostly set for catfish, which constitute nearly half the catch, 

 the other fish of importance being pike, ])ike perch, eels, and suckers. 

 Trawl lines are sparingly used at a number of places, but are not an 

 important means of capture. They take chiefly sturgeon. Seines and 

 dip nets, which complete the list of ai)paratus, are unimportant and 

 capture mostly suckers. 



Fishing-grounds. — The grounds resorted to by the gill-net fishermen 

 of this lake extend 10 miles offshore. Whitefish and trout are taken 

 mostly in deeper water, but lake herring, sturgeon, and pike are caught 

 chiefly in the inshore waters. The fishery for the long-jaw whitefish, 

 which is most extensive in the western counties of the lake, is carried 

 on in deep water at a distance of 3 to 10 miles from shore. 



Trap nets are operated only in the eastern part of the lake, being set 

 principally in the vicinity of Charity Shoal and around the islands 

 which are favorite resorts for the whitefish, trout, and pike perch. 



Fyke nets are fished in the numerous bays, ponds, and creeks along 

 the shores of the lake where catfish, eels, perch, pike, and suckers, to the 

 capture of which the fyke net is especially adapted, naturally resort. 

 The principal fyke-net grounds are in Jeflerson and Oswego counties. 



The set-line fishing-grounds for sturgeon are chiefly in Jefferson and 

 Oswego counties, in the eastern part of the lake, and in Monroe, Orleans, 

 and Niagara counties, in the western part. 



In addition to the suckers taken incidentally in trap and fyke nets, 

 there is a special fishery for them with dip nets and small seines in 

 creeks in Niagara County, to which the fish resort in the early spring 

 for the purpose of spawning. 



Statistics of the fisheries. — The following series of tables illustrates 

 the extent of the various phases of the fishing industry in Lake Ontario. 

 The tables relate to persons employed, api)aratus, boats, and vessels 

 used, and quantity and value of the catch, the figures being by counties. 



Taile showing hy counties the numher of persons employed in the fishei'ics of LaJce Ontario 



in 1S90. 



Counties. 



JeffprHon 

 Oswego.. 

 Cayuga . . 

 Wayiip. .. 

 Monroe . . 

 Orli'uns .. 

 >ri:igiira.. 



Total 



lu vessel 

 fisheries. 



In shore 

 fisheries. 



152 

 53 

 11 

 41 

 28 



On 



shore. 



Total. 



389 



