Lake Michigan - No little fish for the big fish to eat

Posted by 65.216.254.226 brandsxb on May 21, 2009 at 07:52:34:

Alwives and smelt are the food for the lake trout and salmon. For the past three years the number of these small fish have dropped. Salmon are being caught with empty stomachs.

The prey fish data showed a continuation of recent trends and gave no new hope to Lake Michigan anglers. Among the data showed by Madenjian (from 2008 bottom trawls conducted around the lake), alewife biomass declined 30 percent from 2007 and is now at the lowest point on record.

The rainbow smelt also continued its decline and is also at a low for the survey, conducted since the 1970's.

Overall, the prey fish biomass in the lake declined 19 percent from 2007; it too is at the lowest level since the survey began.

None of this is good news for trout and salmon fishermen, who have been hoping for some comeback of alewife, especially, to help sustain the sport fishery.

• Link: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/40240287.html

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