420 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Alleghenies. In the Mississippi Valley it occurs in many of the 

 larger streams and small lakes as far south as Georgia and Ala- 

 bama. Though found in many streams, it is preferably a fish of 

 the lakes, and it reaches its greatest abundance in the Great Lakes, 

 particularly in Lake Erie. In different parts of its range it is 

 known by different names. Among the Great Lakes it is called 

 the Wall-eyed Pike, Yellow Pike, or Dore by the French-Canadians, 

 and Pickerel in the places where the true pike (Esox lucius) is 

 found. In the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, and in the small 

 lakes of northern Indiana, it is known as Salmon or Jack Salmon, 

 names absurd and wholly without excuse. Southward in the Mis- 

 sissippi Valley it is the Jack. Elsewhere it is called Okow, Blow- 

 fish or Green Pike. In fish cultural books it is called Pike-Perch. 



The Wall-eyed Pike is rarely seen in Lake Maxinkuckee, al- 

 though it is not uncommon there. During the warmer weather 

 they keep in deep water. When the weather first gets cold in the 

 fall they come in to shore in some numbers at night, doubtless to 

 feed on other fishes. Illegal fishermen who ply their work on dark 

 nights and chiefly during the autumn and spring, sometimes get 

 these fish. One man claims to have speared a two-bushel sack full 

 of these fish early in the spring near the Inlet, where they had 

 doubtless come to deposit their spawn. They do not appear to 

 stay near shore or in shallow water during the winter, for they 

 are not seen through the clear ice, and it is not known whether 

 they go in schools like the perch does or not. From the fact that 

 only one or a few are usually caught at a time, it would seem that 

 they are rather solitary. 



The Wall-eyed Pike is never caught in large numbers; usually 

 only 1 or 2 are taken at a time. On October 27, 1900, one man 

 caught 4 large ones one forenoon, and on the next day he caught 

 3. This would be regarded as exceptionally good luck. On No- 

 vember 3, 1900, 2 fishermen fishing together got 5, and on May 26, 

 1901, two men fishing together caught 4 in the forenoon and 7 in 

 the afternoon; this would be regarded as quite remarkably good 

 success. A very good fisherman who visited the lake for a week 

 about October 16, 1905, got 10 of this fish in addition to a few 

 of other species. Another sportsman who visited the lake had 

 taken a particular fancy to this fish, and made it the special object 

 of his search. He caught about 21 in 3 weeks and regarded him- 

 self as having been quite successful. 



The Wall-eye bites almost any time during the year, but the 

 best season is in June and during October and November. They 

 are occasionally taken through the ice. 



