FISHERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES IN 1885. 223 



Statistics. — The total number of fishermen on the shores of Iosco 

 County in 1885 was 21, who operated 16 pound-nets, worth $3,375 ; 62 

 gill-nets, worth $434; 16 boats valued at $783; had shore property and 

 accessories valued at $820, and a cash capital of $600. 



These fishermen caught 23,540 pounds of whitefish, 18,500 pounds of 

 pike and pickerel, 7,600 pounds of trout, and 3,200 pounds of other fish, 

 which were sold fresh ; they also took 6,600 pounds of herring, 6,500 

 pounds of trout, and 2,400 pounds of whitefish, which were salted. The 

 total yield was valued at $2,732. 



79. SAGINAW BAY AND RIVER (ARENAC, BAY, TUSCOLA, AND HURON 



COUNTIES), MICHIGAN. 



Bay City. — The capacious arm of Lake Huron which bears the name 

 of Saginaw Bay, while it has a number of post-office settlements on or 

 near its shores, has not a single large town, but upon the river of the 

 same name which flows into its head are several places of considerable 

 importance. Three or 4 miles above the mouth of Saginaw Kiver is 

 Bay City, which, since 1860, when it had but 700 inhabitants, has de- 

 veloped into the third city of Michigan with a population of about 

 25,000. It has a river frontage of 5 miles, and vessels of the largest 

 size can load and discharge at its docks. Several railways afford full 

 communication with all parts of the country, and a number of lines of 

 river and lake steamers furnish the same facilities for travel and traffic 

 by water. Opposite Bay City is West Bay City, a town of 10,000 in- 

 habitants. 



Historical notes. — The first fishing in the vicinity was with pound-nets 

 and seines in 1860, and the average size of the fish caught was greater 

 then than in 1S85. The first dealer in fish began operations in 1868. 



Pound-net fishery. — Bay City and West Bay City form the center of the 

 extensive pound-net fishery of Saginaw Bay. There are several small 

 steamers used in this business at Bay City, where there are a num- 

 ber of fish dealers. These firms with another at West Bay City do a 

 very large business, buying millions of pounds of fish every year, princi- 

 pally pickerel, bass, trout, sturgeon, and perch. There are also a good 

 many herring and a few whitefish handled. These fish are caught almost 

 exclusively with the pound-net. Along the bay shores, from Gravelly 

 Point on the west side to Oak Point on the other, are great numbers 

 of pounds. They are nearly always set in water from 7 to 20 feet deep, 

 the few exceptions having in no instance a greater depth than 30 feet. 

 There are nearly one hundred and twenty-five pound-nets in the Sagi- 

 naw Biver of similar depth. 



Gill-net fishery.— There are a few gangs of gill-nets owned at Bay 

 City, and there is a single gill-net crew at Port Austin, near Point aux 

 Barques, the eastern limit of Saginaw Bay. Port Austin, which is a 

 town of about 900 inhabitants, has had fisheries of varying importance 

 since 1840. Gill-nets were used here at that date, and between 1850 

 and 1860 the number of gill-net crews reached a dozeu or fifteen. In 

 those days whitefish was the principal species taken, but in the few 



