FISHES OF THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK. 23 



The lake trout has become established at least in Shoshone Lake, 

 from which in 1914 Dr. H. M. Smith saw brought in by an angler one 

 of 14 pounds and several smaller ones. In his report for 1897 the 

 acting superintendent of the park wrote that he had never heard of 

 any fish being taken from Shoshone or Lewis Lakes, although he had 

 seen fishes apparently of 3 or 4 pounds weight in Shoshone Lake, 

 and the skeleton of a fish that would perhaps have weighed 10 pounds 

 was found on the shore of the same lake. Some soldiers reported 

 having seen schools of trout 2 feet long near the mouth of De Lacey 

 Creek in Shoshone Lake. 



These are quite possibly lake trout, although Loch Levens had 

 been planted in the same waters. However, Mr. Clark (1. c.) wrote 

 in 1908 that lake trout were plentiful in Shoshone Lake and Lewis 

 Lake and River, and that they could be caught in the " canal" between 

 Shoshone and Lewis Lakes as fast as one could throw in a trolling 

 spoon, and lie remarked that they were large and fat. 



9. EASTERN BROOK TROUT; SPECKLED TROUT (Salvelinus fontinalis] . 



The natural western limit of this brook trout in the United States 

 is northeastern Minnesota. It inhabits lakes as well as streams, and 



FIG. 9. Eastern brook trout; speckled trout. 



varies in size according to locality. It does not flourish in tempera- 

 ture of over 68 F., and about 50 F. is preferable. The largest 

 trout of this species authentically recorded weighed some over 12J 

 pounds. In some lakes trout of 5 or 6 pounds are not uncommon, 

 but such large fish are seldom found in streams unless the streams 

 are tributary to fairly large lakes. In streams of moderate size 

 trout of 1 or 2 pounds weight are to bo considered large, and in most 

 brooks a trout of one-half or three-fourths pound is an exception, 

 at least in recent years. Its spawning season is in fall. 



The brook trout is xme of the most noted and esteemed of American 

 game fishes, but there must be something besides activity that makes 

 it such a general favorite, as in that respect it is surpassed by several 

 others. One appealing attribute is its beauty of coloration, and 



