282 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Stirvey 



usual mortality among the fishes ; they probably simply represent 

 the accumulated mortality of the past winter, during which time 

 the lake was covered with ice, the water inadequately aerated, and 

 many fish died as a result. Fishes or other animals dying under 

 such circumstances would decay very slowly in the ice-covered 

 water and, remaining well preserved in the ice-cold water, would 

 accumulate and be washed up on shore soon after the ice disap- 

 pears and winds again disturb the lake surface. 



COMMERCIAL FISHING 



There is now no commercial fishing at this lake. The impor- 

 tant species in it are all game fishes under the law, the sale of 

 which is not permitted. 



A canvass made of the fisheries of Indiana in 1894, credited 

 Lake Maxinkuckee with five hand-line fishermen with 10 hand-lines 

 valued at $30 and five boats worth $50, and a catch of 



600 pounds of rock bass, valued at $72 00 



2,833 pounds of black bass, valued at 368 00 



300 pounds of walleyed pike, valued at 24 00 



500 pounds of yellow perch, valued at 60 00 



4,233 pounds total, valued at $524 00 



This of course represents only the fish actually sold ; the vastly 

 greater amount caught by sportsmen does not appear. 



Until the present law prohibiting the sale of game fishes became 

 effective, a considerable part of the catch of the ice-fishermen was 

 sold. 



OBSERVANCE OF FISH LAWS 



Public sentiment about Lake Maxinkuckee in relation to the 

 fish and game laws is wholesome and favors their observance. 

 There has been a notable improvement in the last ten years. In 

 the spring of 1900, it was not uncommon to see lights in the 

 south part of the lake where spearing was going on at night. 

 Sometimes the violators operated in Outlet Bay. In the same 

 year some spearing was done about the middle of November. 

 Some netting was done also. A favorite method was to cut a 

 long narrow slit through the ice across the mouth of Norris Inlet. 

 A gillnet would be let down through this and by pounding on the 

 ice the fish would be driven into it. Little or none of this sort 

 of fishing has been observed recently. 



It was reported that some seining was done in May, 1907, and 

 three arrests were made, and a conviction secured, in each case. 



Considerable illegal fishing was thought to be going on in March 

 and April, 1911, but no actual case was observed. 



