224 TROUT AND SALMON 



The Great Lake Trout, or Mackinaw Trout, 1 and its 

 group. — This fish is the largest of all trout. Its usual weight is 

 from 15 to 20 pounds, but it reaches a maximum of 125 pounds. 

 Its color is dark gray, varying most erratically from pale gray 

 to almost black. Its irregular and very numerous spots of 

 gray mark this fish very distinctly, for they cover not only 

 the body but all the fins save those under the body. 



As its name implies, this is essentially a fish of the Great 

 Lakes, and for many years has been the principal source of 

 fresh-fish supply for a large area in that region. In its own 

 field its only rival in commercial importance is the whitefish. 

 Usually the flesh of the latter is supposed to be a greater 

 delicacy than the other. 



The Lake Trout has passed through two or three very 

 interesting periods. From 1880 to 188G commercial fishing 

 for Lake Trout was carried on so persistently that the sup- 

 ply showed alarming signs of exhaustion. Here the United 

 States Bureau of Fisheries stepped in, and along with state 

 hatcheries began to propagate and distribute this species. 

 This work was continued until many millions of fish-eggs 

 had been planted in the lakes. After that the supply of Lake 

 Trout increased so rapidly that presently the markets were 

 overstocked, and the price dropped accordingly. 



More recently, however, the pendulum has swung the 

 other way. All around the Great Lakes the demand for food 

 fishes is now so great and so permanent that the natural 

 supply has proven unable to meet it. Nature cannot produce 

 food fishes in the lakes in the enormous quantities required, 



1 Cris-ti-ro' mcr nam'aij-cush. 



