10 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



in live cars to retaining pools. Being ripe or nearly so, the fish are 

 not suitable for canning or shipment and have heretofore been sold 

 only to the Indians. Toward the close of last year's rim of salmon 

 at this point an average of two tons of fish per day were being taken 

 in the traps. 



There were the usual runs of chinook, silver, and blueback salmon 

 in the Skagit River, Wash., but low water prevented many of them 

 from ascending to the spawning grounds. As a consequence there 

 was a slight decrease in the output of fry of these species. More 

 favorable conditions were experienced in connection with the steel- 

 head trout work, and the collection of eggs was the largest made since 

 the establishment of the Baker Lake station. The installation of a 

 new trap of an improved plan is the medium which is expected 

 to result in greatly increased collections of steelhead trout eggs 

 another year. 



The trout work on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron was seriously 

 curtailed, partly by storms, which prevented the fishermen from rais- 

 ing their nets, but primarily by the State fishery law. Handicapped 

 by unfriendly restrictive legislation, the Bureau can not hope to 

 attain results commensurate with its efforts. 



Notwithstanding the large catches of whitefish by fishermen 

 operating in Lake Erie in the vicinity of Monroe Pier, Mich., and 

 along the Canadian shore at the mouth of the Detroit Eiver, few 

 fish ascended that stream as compared with the enormous runs 

 recorded in former years. In view of the continued decline in the 

 whitefish fishery in the Detroit River, the contemplated construction 

 of a ship canal in proximity to the fishery off Grassy Island, and 

 the consequent abandonment of the station at that point, it is doubted 

 if future results will justify the continuance of operations here. 

 With the view of extending the work over a larger territory and 

 locating in a more productive field, steps were taken to secure from 

 the Bureau of Lighthouses the fishing privileges in waters coming 

 within the Government's jurisdiction in the vicinity of Big Charity 

 Island in the Saginaw Bay district of Lake Huron, with authority to 

 establish and operate a field-collecting station on that island. The 

 construction of this station is now in progress, and it is believed its 

 operation another year will enable the Bureau greatly to increase 

 the output of whitefish in Michigan waters. 



The whitefish work at the Lake Erie station was encouraging. 

 Not only were more eggs taken than last year but the percentage 

 hatched was larger than usual, owing to favorable water tempera- 

 tures in the spawning season. The*T3ulk of the eggs were derived 

 from penned fish, the gill-net fishermen furnishing only a small pro- 

 portion as compared with previous years. 



