Of Lakes and I\Ndroscoggin
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A Biological of Lakes and Pon'd·~ ,. &c" L~M ~f'""}'JL i\ndroscoggin and i I River Drainage II ~v~ta~~ttJ.,, ~"",~~A~£.t.J l;n f\/r'a·£'V,l,in,;:::. .I.,1..J.~ -j BY I'Ii GERALD P. COOPER II Assistant PnJiesso"f of Zoology University Maine I I ,I 'fR1"'hA~~& SU"fVt:>V'"-= -~1 R",":~~,?'t'~'l"~""""""""'<-d~" Nn 4·. i I III I M·alne D'...eparr!l1.ent ' 0f" 1 ~.nanI d Y"'l+t'lSrlerlesL• and Game ARCHER L. \\\\ .. \ MAINE DEPARTMENT OF INLAND FISHERIES AND GAME Fish Survey Report No. 4 A Hiological Survey of Lakes and Ponds of Ihe Androscoggin and Kennebec River Drainage Systems in Maine BY GERALD P. COOPER Assistant Professor of ZooloUY, University of Maine TO 1\1,\ I N I': 111':1'ARTMENT OF INLAND FISHERIES AND GAME ( :norge J. Stobie, Commissioner ,\ 1'1,111'1' L. Grover, Deputy Commissioner Published by 'I'h(~Augusta Press, Augusta I)()eember 10, 1941 .. • COURTESY MAINE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION Wdib Lake in Weld) lookin(! southwest 1l11l"III1Y MAINI InVlllll'MI-Nl 11lMMPI'1I11N '·"fI IIt','i,'jt'/'III(UWf'r' III/k,' in iV 0/'/""11 COURTESY MAINE DEVELQPMENT COMMISSION Tholl//I"m/. TJake in O:r;f'orrl t:rlIlRTF~;Y MAIN! flrVlloI'M1Nl ('tlMMI'lldllN Lou!! f'm/.l! (If II/.(' nl'!!!)'/./.I!"". 1(I(lI,iofl (1'1',,1 Oreat l'mul I({ thl' Hd(frmles f1'Om thl! I'lJ,st. Ottc?' Islmul 'in the j'i(fht .foTI'(JTI!wnd i.~I/.t a distance of 1J,J!J!Toximatcly one-half '/fIiill'. In the left back(fTOu.nd is the channel lie/ween the south end of Hoyt's Island and Allen Point /1 Cllr, I){)III IIIU/ Irllilcr U'II/I:t well IIdllJlted to reconnaissllnce "Ul'I!(;!!" (~r IlIkes IIlId JlIIlI.ds. The 14-foot Lapstrake bOil I clln {N' hlllldled Ii!! one jN"!'8!)n, A part of Carll/nd / '111111in U!!1'1Il1 'in the left background TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Illtroduction,. , . 9 C lC'llol'nl Characteristics of Lakes .. , , . , ,.,, , 11 Il"qllirements of Trout, Salmon, and Other Game Fishes . 20 C l""1'ml Description of These Lakes and Ponds of the Androscoggin and I\lmnebec River Drainages 26 Hllil.nhility of the Water in These Lakes and Ponds for Trout and Salmon , 33 1'llIlIkton of the Lakes and Ponds, By Harry A. Goodwin 68 IloU,om Soil and Bottom Fauna of the J,akes and Ponds , 82 1"11111(,8ofthe Lakes and Ponds 100 1"I)I)dHabits and Age and Growth of the 'White Pereh (M O1'Oneamericana) .... 122 Food Habits , ... ................................... 125 Age and Growth ..... .... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 133 f"I)od IIl1bits of Other Fishes . .. " , 155 Maps of the Lakes and Pomb . .... ,164 (~onclusions and Recommendations 210 Stocking Recommendl1tions , .. , .•.............................. 218 Appendix A - A Biological Survey of Anasagunticook Lake By Joel W. Marsh., ,,, ,. ,.225 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. The vertical distribution of temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH of the wl1ter in Auburn Lake, Pleasant Pond, and Cochnewa• gan Pond, as determined by I1nalyses made at three dates during the summer, , .. , . 38 Figure 2, The vertiel11 distribution of temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH of the water in Long Pond of the Belgrades and Snow Pond, as determined by analyses made at three dates during the summer , .. 39 Figure 3. The vertical distribution of temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH of the water in Great Pond, Salmon Lake, and East Pond, as determined by analyses made at three dates during the summer ,, 40 Figure 4, Percentages of volumes and numbers of different types of organ• isms in the bottom faunas, and percentages of volumes and numbers of each type of bottom organism to all bottom or- ganisms in stomachs of White Perch ,, 132 I.'igure 5. Age-length curves of average body lengths of White Perch for in• dividuallakes, and the average age-length curve for all lakes 148 5 Page Page ('I//,III'e 52. Anasaguntieook Lake. Houndinl!;s in feet, depth eontours, and Fi!!;ure G. Age-wei!!;ht eurves for \Vhite Perch for "eJr·el;ed individual Inkes suitability of t.he water for trout or salmon 226 and the leverage a,:w-weight curve for all lakes. lID ""Kiln' 5:3. Map of Amtsagunticook Lake showing the dist.ribut.ion of bottom Figmes 7 to 51. :'Vlaps of the lakes of the Hl40 survey, with soundings in soil types 227 feet. and suitability of the water for tl'Out or salmon .... J()I) to 20D Vertieal distribution of temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH in Figure 7. Salmttus Pond. (,'iKllre 54. W5 An:1saguntieook Lake on August 7, 19;n .... 2:30 Figure 8. Taylor Pond .... l(\(i I"jg;ul'e 55, Avenl.l!;e numbers of different types of bottom organisms pel' square Figure B. Lower H:lIlge Pond W7 yard aceordillg to depth and type of bottom soil, and the total Figure 10. Middle Range Pond. !(is aereage of eaeh type of bottom soil, in Anasaguntieook La.ke .... 2;{1 FiguJ'f~ J I. (' pper I tnnge Pond. WO (,'iKure !iU. Average numbers of planktet's pel' liter of lake water at different Figure 12. I logan Pond and Whitney Pond 170 depths in AlUtsal!;untieook Lake on July 2, 1n:n 2:32 Figure I;). Tripp Pond ... 171 Figure 14. Thompson Lake. 172 Figure 1.5. Pennesseewassee Lake 17:3 LIST OF TABLES Figure 16. 1\vitchell Pond 174 '('able VIILXII.VII.1.\.III..\1.IV.VI.X.fI.V.I. The loeations, clevations, and a.reas, and 11partial summary of Figure 17. Bryant Pond or Christopher Lnke. 175 Figure 18. Auburn Lake. data on depth, temperature, and dissolved oXYl!;en, for the 17(; lakes and ponds of t.he 19cH) survey 28 Figure 19. Allen Pond .. TableTnhle ]77 'I'nbl(~Table Figure 20. Pleasant Pond. TableTableTable Water analyses. Vertieal distribution of temperature, oXYl!;en, ]7S TabkTableTableTable and pH in the lakes ltnd ponds, from a.nalyses made during Figure 21. Androscoggin Lake 17B the summer of U140 41 Figure 22. Pocasset Lake 180 An evaluat.ion of the ponds with respeet to the suitability of Figure 23. Lovejoy Pond 181 temperatuJ'f; and of dissolved oxygen eontent, of the water for I<'igure 24. Echo Lake or Crotched Pond. 182 t.rout OJ' salmon during the most eritieal, Jate-summer period (iO Figure 25. Parker Pond and David Pond ]8:~ The ltv(~rage numhers of different types of plankters, and t.lw Figure 26. Tilton Pond. 181 avemge volumes of all plankton, pel' eubie foot of lake water Figure 27. Flying Pond .. within different depth strata in the lltkes and ponds, as eldml- 181) lated from survey eolleetions 70 Figure 28. Worthley Pond 18(; Figure 29. Webb Lake . IS7 The avera/?:e numbers of different. types of plankt.ers, and the aventl!;e volumes of all plankton, pel' eubie foot of Jake water Figure 30. Silver Lake or Roxbury Pond. IS8 within different depth strata of the 5:~ lakes combined, during .Figure :H. Garland or Little Ellis Pond ... 180 t.he summer or IH40 81 Figure ;32. North Pond. ]!J() Volumes in cubic eentimeters and numbers of eaeh type. of or- Figure :33. South Pond. IDI ganism in all hottom samples from eaeh of 44 lakes and ponds 81, Figure ;34. PurgatOl'Y Pond and Hand Pond. [D2 The averal!;e volumes in cubie eentimeters and numbers of Figure ;35. Cobboss(;econtee Lake. 1\1:; bottom orl!;anisms per 9" x 9" sample from 44 lakes and ponds Figure :36. Annabessaeook Lake. 1$)4 (:OInbined, and hased on a total of 809 samples, arranged ae- eordinl!; to depth of water and type of bottom soil 88 Figure il7. Coclmewagan Pond. In.5 Figure 38. \Vilson Pond, Dext.er Pond, nnd Berry Pond. 196 The tot.al and average volumes and numbers of organisms in Figure ;N. Mamnaeook Lake ... hottom samplcs, and the ealculated average volumes and 197 numbers of or/?:anisms. per square foot of lake bottom, for 44 Figure 40. Torscy or Greeley Pond. 19S lakes and ponds 92 Figure 41. Narrows Pond ... HJD The distribution of fishes in the lakes and ponds as determined Figure 42. Snow Pond or Messalonskee Lal«;. 200 hy survey collections with gill nets and seines. lOG Figure 43. Long Pond of Belgmdes. 201 Thc distrihution and abUlldarH:c of fishes in the lakes and Figure 44. Great Pond of Belgmdes 202 ponds as reported hy local State Fish and Game Wardens, Figure 41). North Pond of Belgmdes. 203 a.nd as estimated from survey collectiolls ..... 114 Figure 46. East Pond of Belgmdes 204 Volumes in cubic centimeters and numbers of food organisms Figure 47. Salmon Lake and McGrath Pond 205 in stomachs of 1,2.'52 White Pereh (Mo!'onc orr/.c!'icana) from Figure 48. Clearwater Pond. 206 2.5 lakes and ponds of the 1940 lake survey 128 ,Figure 49. Wilson Pond 207 Volumes in eubie eentimeters and numbers of food organisms Figure 50. Sandy Pond. 208 in stomachs of 505 'White l'ereh (Mo/'onc am.criNJ.na) from 19 Figure Embden Pond. lakes and ]londs .. 13() 51. 209 6 Page Table XIII. Percentages of volumes and numbers of different types of bot- tom organisms in the bottom faunas, and percentages of vol- umes and numbers of each type of bottom organism to all bottom organisms in stomachs of White Perch 132a " BIOLOGICAL SURVEY OF LAKES AND PONDS Table XIV. OF THE ANDROSCOGGIN AND KENNEBEC Average lengths and weight, and range in lengths and weight of different age groups of 1,827 White Perch (Morone ameri- RIVER DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN MAINE cana) from 4~ lakes and ponds 138 Table XV.