Common Whitefish 



Common Whitefish 



Coregonus clupeiformis (Mitchill) 



This important and delicious food-fish is known also as hump- 

 back, bowback and highback whitefish (Lake Superior), and 

 Otsego Bass (Lake Otsego, N. Y. ). 



It is the most important and one of the most abundant of 

 all the whitefishes. It is found throughout the Great Lakes region 

 from Lake Champlain to Lake Superior, and possibly to Lake 

 Winnipeg. It has been reported commercially from Lake of the 

 Woods, Lake Winnipeg and Northwest Territory, but all references 

 to its occurrence west of Lake Superior need verification. Ail 

 specimens of so-called whitefish from Lake of the Woods which 

 have been examined by any ichthyologist belong to a different 

 species the Labrador whitefish (Coregonus labradoricus), and this 

 is doubtless the species which the Canadian Fish Commission re- 

 ports call the " whitefish," when referring to localities west of 

 Lake Superior. 



The common whitefish lives habitually in the deeper waters of 

 the lakes, coming out into more shallow water at spawning time, 

 which, in the Great Lakes, is from late October into December. 

 While its habits are perhaps better understood than those of any 

 other species of whitefish, there still remain many important facts 

 in its life history which are obscure or little understood. Besides 

 the regular migration from deep water to the spawning grounds 

 in the fall, there appear to be other rather definite movements, 

 as, for example, in Lake Erie, where the species is most abun- 

 dant. During the greater part of the year it seems to be mainly 

 confined to the deeper waters of the eastern part of the lake. 

 From there 2 regular movements occur, one in the spring, the 

 other in the fall, which greatly increase the area of its distribu- 

 tion during a limited period. There is practically no fishing for this 

 species in January, February and March, during which time the 

 whereabouts of the fish is not known. The gillnetters generally 

 begin to set for whitefish early in April, and continue until the 

 end of December following. This deep-water fishing is confined 

 to the eastern part of the lake. 



The gillnet grounds extend mainly from about 5 miles off 

 shore to the middle of the lake, the depth ranging from about 12 



123 



