Lake Trout Spawning Habitat in the Great Lakes — a Review of Current Knowledge

Marsden, J. Ellen; Casselman, John M.; Edsall, Thomas A.; Elliott, Robert J.R.; Fitzsimons, John D.; Horns, William H.; Manny, Bruce A.; McAughey, Scott C.; Sly, P. G.; Swanson, Bruce L.

doi:10.1016/s0380-1330(95)71120-0

Cited by 77 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…This reef is located about 0.15 km to 0.5 km offshore, and encompasses about 0.1 km 2 . Prior to stocking, the reef was examined by scuba divers to ensure that it was composed of rocky substrate with prevalent interstitial spaces, which characterize good spawning habitat (Fitzsimons, 1995;Marsden et al, 1995;Schreiner et al, 1995). Although this emergent reef is located fairly near shore, the bottom slopes steeply, and the offshore side of the exposed portion drops quickly to >15 m in depth.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wherever fry stocking is proposed, visual examination of potential stocking reefs is recommended to identify appropriate spawning habitat characteristics (Marsden et al, 1995;Schreiner et al, 1995). Delivery of fry directly to the reef surface where they will actively seek refuge (Negus, 1998) can prevent drifting to unsuitable areas.…”

Section: Application Of Fry Stocking Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lake trout stocked as yearlings, regardless of stocking location, tend to spawn in shallow water along shorelines where wave action, ice scour, and siltation limit egg survival (Eshenroder et al, 1995a;Krueger et al, 1986;Peck, 1979). Stocking of eggs or sac fry directly onto historical spawning reefs where natural reproduction is low or absent, in the season when that life stage would normally be found in the wild, has been recommended to promote imprinting and survival of lake trout and their progeny (Eshenroder et al, 1995b(Eshenroder et al, , 1999Horrall, 1981;Marsden et al, 1995). Citing these reasons, recent lake trout rehabilitation plans for most of the Great Lakes include the stocking of early life history stages to reduce time to rehabilitation (Bronte et al, 2008;Ebener, 1998;Hansen, 1996;Markham et al, 2008), though evidence of successful fry stocking has been lacking.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contribution of lake trout stocked as fry to an adult population in Lake Superior

Negus

2010

Journal of Great Lakes Research

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Application Of Fry Stocking Strategymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Contribution of lake trout stocked as fry to an adult population in Lake Superior

Negus

2010

Journal of Great Lakes Research

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“…Lake trout typically spawn during autumn, and unlike most salmonines, they tend to spawn in open-lake environments [25,26]. The reproductive biology of lake trout presents two unique challenges to use of oviduct transmitters in conjunction with positional telemetry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Instead, eggs are first released loose into the body cavity and then expelled through the oviduct [27,28]. Second, lake trout often spawn on cobble shoals with clean, deep interstitial spaces [25,26]. Expelled oviduct transmitters would likely settle in the spaces between rocks, where their acoustic signals may be blocked and, therefore, less likely to be positioned.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of oviduct-inserted acoustic transmitters and positional telemetry to estimate timing and location of spawning: a feasibility study in lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush

Binder

Holbrook

Miehls

et al. 2014

Animal Biotelemetry

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Background: Oviduct-inserted transmitters have shown promise for determining precise location of spawning in fishes. Use of traditional manual tracking to locate expelled oviduct transmitters is laborious and accurate estimates of time of transmitter expulsion require frequent surveys. We tested the feasibility of using oviduct-inserted transmitters with positional telemetry to estimate time and location of spawning in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Three assumptions were tested: (1) oviduct transmitters remain within fish until spawning, (2) oviduct transmitters are expelled with the eggs during spawning, and (3) time and location of oviduct transmitter expulsion can be accurately determined. Results: In the laboratory, 39 of 44 (89%) lake trout retained an oviduct transmitter until end of the spawning period and all premature transmitter expulsions occurred before maturation. Natural spawning in the laboratory was not feasible; however, of 35 ripe trout that retained transmitters, 31 (89%) expelled their transmitter with eggs when subjected to manual stripping. Ability to position transmitters with a telemetry array at known spawning sites in Lake Huron (North America) was poor when oviduct transmitters were placed in the substrate compared to transmitters suspended 1 m above substrate -78% of transmitters in substrate could not be positioned. However, in simulations, time and location of spawning were determined with reasonable accuracy by double-tagging trout with one transmitter that is expelled with the eggs during spawning while another transmitter remains in the fish. Accuracy of estimated time and location of transmitter spatial separation varied with distance traveled from spawning site and swimming speed, and was dependent on transmission delay.

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Evaluation of fish spawning habitat at offshore reefs in southwest Lake Michigan using side‐scan sonar and underwater video

Stacy‐Duffy,

Redman,

Roswell

et al. 2024

Aquatic Conservation

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Offshore reefs in the Laurentian Great Lakes provide critical spawning habitats for native lake trout. Though many historic spawning reefs have been documented, thorough evaluation of the habitat they contain is rare. After decades of stocking, natural recruitment of lake trout has increased dramatically in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan since 2010, reinforcing the need for information about the viability and distribution of spawning habitats. Using side‐scan sonar and underwater video, this study sought to map bottom substrates at Lake Bluff Reef and Gumby's Reef, offshore of the northern Illinois coast of Lake Michigan, to describe and quantify the availability of substrates suitable for lake trout spawning. Substrates were manually delineated in ArcGIS using side‐scan sonar imagery mosaics. Underwater video was used to verify substrate classifications through direct observation. Suitable spawning substrate consisting of fractured bedrock debris and piled boulder/cobble was observed at both reefs. Underwater video revealed the presence of lake trout at both reefs in the weeks leading up to the spawning season. The largest congregation of fish was observed in the vicinity of the shallowest points, steep slopes, and the largest patches of spawning substrate. The distribution, amount, and condition of spawning substrate available at each reef was in line with others studied in the region and their likely importance for lake trout spawning was reinforced by observed aggregations of mature fish. This study has expanded the inventory of well‐documented offshore reefs in the Illinois waters of Lake Michigan, enhancing appreciation of what is coming to be understood as the Illinois Reef Complex. Knowledge of the distribution and status of habitats critical to the life history of native fishes in the Great Lakes are necessary for managers to properly assess, manage, and conserve lake trout and other fish populations.

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Lake Trout Spawning Habitat in the Great Lakes — a Review of Current Knowledge

Cited by 77 publications

References 46 publications

Contribution of lake trout stocked as fry to an adult population in Lake Superior

Contribution of lake trout stocked as fry to an adult population in Lake Superior

Use of oviduct-inserted acoustic transmitters and positional telemetry to estimate timing and location of spawning: a feasibility study in lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush

Evaluation of fish spawning habitat at offshore reefs in southwest Lake Michigan using side‐scan sonar and underwater video

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