Updated 2023-09-08 19:25:02
Lake Michigan -> 1.0 Salmonine (Salmon and Trout) -> Lake Trout Percent of Yield
Reporting Interval
2016 - 2021
Area
Lake Michigan
Meeting Target?
Meets
Indicator Trend
Upward trend
Confidence?
Medium
1.1.2 Lake trout annual harvest at 20-25% of overall salmon and trout harvest
Chinook salmon comprised most of the harvest during 2016 – 2021 (40% average) followed by lake trout (30% average) and all other salmonines combined (30% average; Figure 1). As Chinook salmon harvest has declined, proportional harvest of other species, especially lake trout, has increased as sport anglers targeted other salmonine species instead of Chinook salmon (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Proportion of annual salmonine harvest comprised of Chinook salmon, lake trout, and other salmonines (brown trout, coho salmon, and rainbow trout)—from sport fishing, commercial fishing, research assessments, and weir returns, 1985-2021.
Methodology
Harvest of salmonines on Lake Michigan is calculated as the weight of all salmonines harvested during sport fishing, commercial fishing, research assessment, and weir collection activities. Sport fishing harvest is estimated from lakewide angler creel surveys occurring annually from April-October and from charter boat reporting. Commercial harvest is calculated from State licensed and Tribal commercial fish reporting. Research assessment harvest is calculated from salmonines that were captured during research netting and electrofishing operations conducted by Federal, State, and Tribal agencies working on Lake Michigan. Weir harvest is calculated from the collection of salmonines returning to State operated weirs during annual spawning migrations.
Other Resources
- SWG (Salmonid Working Group). 2022. Summary of the predator/prey ratio analysis for Chinook salmon and alewife in Lake Michigan. Report to the Lake Michigan Committee. PPR Summary for Outreach_8-18-2022.pdf (glfc.org)
- Warner, D.M., R. Tingley, C.P. Madenjian, B. Turschak, D. Hanson. In Review. Status of Pelagic and Benthic Prey Fish Populations in Lake Michigan, 2021. Report to the Lake Michigan Committee.
Contributing Author(s)
- Lake Michigan Technical Committee - Salmonid Working Group