Biological Survey — Oswego Watershed 61 



emaciated condition and although some of them contained smelts, 

 ciscoes or sculpins Ave took none which had more than one or two 

 of these fishes in the stomach and most of them had been feeding 

 on mysis or other small organisms. The pike-perch which is a 

 more omnivorous fish seems to find plenty of insect larvae and 

 small fish to grow successfully. This was the only fish which the 

 local sportsmen were taking with any degree of success, while we 

 were on the lake. Eels still exist in Owasco but are fast disappear- 

 ing. The carp is too abundant near the head of the lake and may 

 interfere seriously with the spawning operations of the pike-perch, 

 perch and bullhead. This fish should be held in check. Suckers 

 were formerly very abundant in Owasco and are still plentiful 

 because there are streams in which they can breed with some suc- 

 cess. These same streams are spawning grounds for the rainbow 

 trout which could be encouraged to become an important fish in 

 Owasco. In this lake we took the only sturgeon suckers (Catostomus 

 cat ost omits) which we found in the Finger lakes. 



Skaneateles lake: This is a cool, clear water well adapted to the 

 lake trout, the rainbow and steelhead, the whitefish and the cisco. 

 The black bass find favorable breeding and food grounds in the 

 shallower waters and the perch and sucker, among the humbler 

 species, can thrive successfully. On account of the living streams 

 entering the lake in which the rainbow and steelhead can breed we 

 believe these fish should be encouraged. Lake trout, whitefish and 

 cisco should be planted in greater numbers. Possibly the land- 

 locked salmon may yet be firmly established. 



Otisco lake: This is the shallowest, warmest and weediest of all 

 the Finger lakes. The deeper water is unfit for fish habitation, at 

 least during the summer, because of the scarcity of oxygen.* It is 

 not a trout lake, but in it the pike-perch, perch, large- and small- 

 mouthed bass, pickerel, sunfish, bullhead and sucker can thrive. 

 Because of the large number of cottagers and fishermen in pro- 

 portion to the size of the lake, however, general complaints of 

 scarcity of fish were received. The pike-perch, yellow perch and 

 both species of bass should be encouraged in this lake. Incidentally 

 such fish as the bluegill, crappie and catfish could be introduced 

 successfully. 



General Suggestions for Improving the Fish Situation. — 



Making regulations: We will cite a single example of many which 

 occurred to us during the season's work. The open season for 

 black bass began on July first, but in both Seneca and Keuka lakes 

 many bass were still on their beds protecting the young fry on that 

 date. We believe that a postponement of the season was advisable, 

 but this could not possibly have been foreseen by last year's 

 Legislature. The temperature in all the lakes was slow to rise 

 to the summer level during the spring of 1927 and the spawning 

 of many shallow water fishes was postponed accordingly. 



* See page 132, chemical analyses. 



