I90 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF 



3t. Lawrence I^iver. 



The prosecution of commercial fisheries on the St. Lawrence river is not encour- 

 aged under the laws of the State of New York. In 1899 the only commercial fish- 

 eries carried on were those employing set lines for sturgeon and seines for catching 

 suckers and bait fishes. A number of small seines were used in procuring bait for 

 use in the extensive hand line fishery for sport, and these have been included in the 

 present account of the commercial fisheries, as they gave employment to a number 

 of persons and proved a source of considerable revenue during the summer season. 

 The set lines average about 500 feet in length, and have from 75 to 80 branch lines 

 bearing the hooks. The sturgeon taken are all dressed before shipment and the 

 eggs prepared as caviar. 



The principal fishing towns on the river are Ogdensburg, Chippewa Bay, Alex- 

 andria Bay and Clayton. 



The accompanying tables show the men, boats, apparatus and shore property 

 employed in the fisheries, and the catch by counties, apparatus and species. 



Ba^e Ontario. 



This lake, which is the smallest of all the Great Lakes, is 185 miles long and has 

 an average width of 40 miles. Including indentations, the portion of shore line in 

 the State of New York is about 265 miles. The only rivers of importance emptying 

 into the lake are the Niagara, Genesee and Oswego. The eastern shore of the lake 

 is broken by bays, with numerous islands, while the portion west of Sodus Point is 

 generally more regular in outline, being only occasionally indented by very small bays. 



The principal fishing towns on the lake are Cape Vincent, Three-Mile Bay, Chau- 

 mont, Sacket Harbor, Sandy Creek, Port Ontario, North Fair Haven, Sodus Point, 

 Oak Orchard (Point Breeze, P. O.), Olcott, Wilson and Youngstown. 



Fishing has been carried on in Lake Ontario since the founding of the earliest 

 settlements along its shores. In earlier times all the fish taken were consumed 

 locally, but as means of transportation increased, trade with the interior settlements 

 was built up. This trade gradually assumed large proportions and furnished employ- 

 ment to a considerable number of persons. During recent years there has been a 

 continuous decrease in the yield of fish from Lake Ontario. The year 1897, how- 

 ever, showed a slight increase, while a further increase occurred in 1899. The latter 



