FISHERIES OF LAKE ONTARIO. 
203 
In many localities on the American shore, near which the lake trout were formerly 
very abundant and were taken in large numbers, they are now rarely seen. Off 
Oswego, for instance, the catch is now insignificant, but at one time thousands of 
trout were caught in summer in about 300 feet -of water on set lines baited with ciscoes. 
There is an authentic record of two fishermen in one boat, operating about 800 hooks, 
taking 2,300 pounds of trout in one night. Now only a few fish visit the shores to 
spawn ; this is usually in October. 
Although differing widely from each other in habits, the trout and whitefish of 
Lake Ontario seem to be somewhat related in abundance and movements. The prin- 
cipal spawning- ground for the whitefish is also the locality most frequented by trout, 
and the largest quantities of each are taken in the same localities and at the same 
season. The trout, however, have decreased proportionally somewhat more than 
whitefish, the percentages being 93 and 86, respectively. As was shown' in the consid- 
eration of the imports of fish from Canada, the provincial fishermen of Lake Ontario 
are now annually shipping into the United States larger quantities of lake trout than 
are caught by our fishermen. 
Concerning the cause of the decreased abundance of trout in Lake Ontario, nothing 
definite can be asserted. The most plausible explanation seems to be that the largest 
quantities of fish are caught during or before the spawning season and on spawning- 
grounds, and that no adequate steps have been taken to replenish this unfortunate 
destruction of eggs and breeding fish. The U. S. Fish Commission has deposited no 
trout fry in Lake Ontario; and of the 35,444,800 young trout hatched by the New 
York fish commission between 1882 and 1891 not one has been planted in this lake, as 
I am informed by Mr. Edward P. Doyle, secretary of the New York fish commission. 
The trout is a carnivorous and piscivorous fish, and in considering the question of 
increasing its abundance by resort to artificial means the food supply for young and 
adults becomes important. Fortunately it is thought that the alewives which now 
in h abit the lake in such countless myriads are admirably suited for trout food, a view 
which is sanctioned by the known habits of the trout and the opinion and experience 
of fishermen. The effect of the abundance of suitable food has been observed in the 
increased fatness of the fish caught. A dealer who handles large quantities of fish 
writes that he has noticed for several years that the trout caught in Lake Ontario are 
much fatter than those taken on the upper lakes, and it is now almost impossible to 
find a Lake Ontario trout that has not rolls of fat on its sides. 
In regard to the feasibility of increasing by artificial means the abundance of lake 
trout, Mr. Ingersoll writes : 
I think the conditions are now very favorable for restocking this lake with salmon trout. The 
alewives are food for the young fry on the shores and shoals, and as soon as they get large enough to 
enter the deep water in the warm weather there are thousands of long-jaws for them to feed ou. 
