American Fisheries Society. 141 



my annual report to the United States Commissioner of Fish 

 and Fisheries, that the following points in regard to Lake Stur- 

 geon and Sturgeon hatching may be considered as pretty well 

 established : 



1. The Lake Sturgeon go up the tri])utary rivers of Lake 

 Ohamplain to spawn. They ascend different rivers at different 

 times, the time for each river appearing to be determined by the 

 temperature of the water. The river that the spawning sturgeon 

 of Lake Champlain first ascend is the Missisquoi, in the extreme 

 northwestern corner of Vermont. They go up this river very 

 soon after the pike perch have finished spawning in the river, 

 which is usually the latter part of x^pril. The largest number of 

 ripe fish appeared about May 13th. The spawning sturgeon were 

 all out of the river l)y ]\Iay 2ath. 



The Lake Champlain sturgeon ascend the Lamoille, a Ver- 

 mont river which flows into the lake about thirty miles south of 

 the Missisquoi, somewhat later. This year their first appearance 

 at the mouth of this river w^as about the middle of May ; and they 

 collected in the Sturgeon Hole in the greatest numbers for 

 spawning on the 23d of May. They had all left the river by the 

 end of May. 



2. The Lake Sturgeon spawn in the shallow waters of the 

 lake in June. At least, there is a spawning bed in the shallow 

 water of the l)ay just south of the mouth of the Lamoille, where 

 the sturgeon come to deposit their eggs. Parent fish collect in 

 this bay to spawai al)out two weeks later than they are found in 

 their greatest numbers in the Sturgeon Hole of the Lamoille. 

 The largest number of ripe ones was observed on June 4th. By 

 June L5th, all had left the spawning grounds of the bay. 



3. As far as we have observed, the Lake Sturgeon will not 

 spawn until the water reaches a temperature of 60 degrees F. 

 l\\ our experience on ])oth lake and river, Ave have never found 

 sturgeon spawning in colder water than this. We are conse- 

 quently led to believe that they require water at or above 60 de- 

 grees F., though of course, this must be accepted only as an 

 inference. 



4. The Lake Sturgeon spawn at various periods later than 

 they do in the bay just mentioned, as is evidenced by the fact that 



