WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES CREEL SURVEY REPORT

TROUT LAKE

VILAS COUNTY

2016-17

Treaty Fisheries Publication

Compiled by Jeff Blonski & Jason Halverson Treaty Fisheries Technicians

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION...... 1 GENERAL LAKE INFORMATION ...... 2 Location ...... 2 Physical Characteristics ...... 2 Seasons Surveyed ...... 2 Weather ...... 2 Fishing Regulations ...... 2 SPECIES CATCH AND HARVEST INFORMATION ...... 2 CREEL SURVEY RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ...... 3 Survey Logistics ...... 3 General Angler Information ...... 3 RESULTS BY SPECIES ...... 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ...... 4

SUMMARY TABLES

Table 1. Sportfishing effort summary ...... 5 Table 2. Creel survey synopses ...... 6 SPECIES CATCH AND HARVEST INFORMATION Gamefish Figure 1. Walleye ...... 7 Figure 2. ...... 8 Figure 3. Muskellunge ...... 9 Figure 4. Smallmouth Bass ...... 10 Figure 5. ...... 11 Figure 6. Lake Trout ...... 12 Figure 7. Cisco ...... 13 Figure 8. Whitefish ...... 14 Panfish Figure 9. ...... 15 Figure 10. ...... 16

Cover Art: Steve Hilt, Portland, OR Fish Graphics: Virgil Beck, Stevens Point, WI INTRODUCTION hours per week, during the open season for Fish populations can fluctuate due to gamefish from the first Saturday in May natural forces (weather, predation, through the first Sunday in March. Creel competition), management actions (stocking, surveys are not conducted in November regulations, habitat improvement), when fishing effort is low and ice conditions inappropriate development (habitat are often unsafe. The survey is run during degradation), and harvest impacts. daylight hours, and shift times change from Department of Natural Resources month to month as day length changes. fisheries crews regularly conduct fishery surveys on area lakes and reservoirs to Creel survey clerks travel their lakes gather the information needed to monitor using a boat or snowmobile to count the changes, identify concerns, evaluate past number of anglers at predetermined times, management actions, and to prescribe and to interview anglers who have fishery management strategies. Netting and completed their fishing trip. Data is electrofishing surveys are used to gather data collected on what species they fished for, on the status of fish populations and catch, harvest, lengths of fish harvested, communities (species composition, marks (fin clips or tags), and hours of population size, reproductive success, fishing effort. Collecting completed-trip size/age distribution, and growth rates). The data provides the most accurate assessment other key component of the fishery that we of angling activities, and it avoids the need often need to measure is the harvest. to disturb anglers while they are fishing.

On many lakes in the Ceded Territory of A computer program is used to make northern Wisconsin, harvest of fish is estimates of total catch and harvest of each divided between sport anglers and the six species, catch and harvest rates, and total Chippewa tribes who harvest fish under fishing effort by month, as well as for the rights granted by federal treaties. The tribes year in total. Keep in mind that these are harvest fish mostly using a highly efficient only estimates based on the best information method, spearing, during a relatively short available, and not a complete accounting of time period in the spring. Every fish in the effort, catch, and harvest. Accurate spear harvest is counted – a complete estimates require that we sample a sufficient “census” of the harvest. and representative portion of the angling activity on a lake. The accuracy of creel We also measure the sport angler harvest survey results, therefore, depends on good to assess its impact on the fishery. However, cooperation and truthful responses by it would be highly impractical and very anglers when a creel clerk interviews them. costly to conduct a complete census of every angler who fishes on a lake. Therefore, we You may have encountered a DNR creel conduct creel surveys. survey clerk on a recent fishing trip. We appreciate your cooperation during an A creel survey is an assessment tool used interview. The survey only takes a moment to sample the fishing activities of anglers on of your time, and it gives the Department a body of water and make projections, or valuable information needed for estimates, of harvest and other fishery management of the fishery. parameters. Creel survey clerks work on randomly-selected days and shifts, forty

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This report provides estimates of: Lake in mid December. 1. Overall fishing effort (pressure) 2. Fishing effort directed at each species Fishing Regulations 3. Catch and harvest rates The following seasons, daily bag limits, 4. Numbers of fish caught and harvested and length limits were in place on Trout Lake during the 2016-17 fishing season: Also included are a physical description Bag Min. of Trout Lake; discussion of results of the Species Season Limit Size survey; and detailed summaries, by species, Largemouth Bass 5/7-3/5 1 18" of fishing effort, catch and harvest. Smallmouth Bass 5/7-6/17 Catch&Release 6/18-3/5 1 18" Musky 5/7-11/30 1 40" GENERAL LAKE Northern Pike 5/7-3/5 5 none Walleye 5/7-3/5 3 15" INFORMATION 20"-24" Protected Slot, 1>24" Lake Trout 5/4-9/30 1 30" Whitefish/Ciscos year round 10 none Trout Lake Panfish year round 25 none Rock Bass year round none none SPECIES CATCH AND HARVEST INFORMATION Angling effort, catch, and harvest information is summarized for each species in Table 2 and Figures 1-10. Table 2 also Location includes a comparison of these statistics Trout Lake is located in Vilas County with the previous creel survey. Information near the town of Boulder Junction. presented about species whose fishing season extends beyond March 5 should be Physical Characteristics considered minimum estimates. Each Trout Lake is a 3,816-acre drainage lake species page has up to five graphs depicting with a maximum depth of 117. Littoral the following: substrate consists mainly of gravel and sand, 1. ESTIMATED FISHING EFFORT with rock and some muck. Trout Lake Total calculated number of hours contains slightly alkaline, clear water of high during each month that anglers spent transparency. fishing for a species.

Seasons Surveyed 2. ESTIMATED SPECIFIC CATCH The period referred to in this report as AND HARVEST RATES the 2016-17 fishing season ran from May 7, Calculated number of hours it takes 2016 through March 5, 2017. The open an angler to catch or harvest a fish of water creel survey ran from May 7 through the indicated species. Only October 31, 2016, and the ice fishing creel information from anglers who were survey ran from December 1, 2016 through specifically targeting that species is March 5, 2017. reported.

Weather 3. ESTIMATED CATCH AND Ice-out on Trout Lake was around April HARVEST 21, 2016. Fishable ice formed on Trout Calculated number of fish of the

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indicated species caught or harvested of any gamefish species during the 2016-17 by all anglers, regardless of targeted season. Anglers spent 10,543 hours species. targeting walleye. The greatest fishing effort for walleyes was in May (4,618 hours). 4. LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF December had the least amount of walleye HARVESTED FISH fishing effort (35 hours). All fish of a species that were Total catch of walleyes was 2,083 fish measured by the clerk during the with a harvest of 902 fish. Highest catch entire creel survey season. (954 fish) and highest harvest (544 fish) occurred in May. Anglers fished an average 5. LARGEST AND AVERAGE of 5.1 hours to catch, and 11.8 hours to LENGTH OF HARVESTED FISH harvest, a walleye during the survey. The Monthly largest and average length mean length of harvested walleyes was 17.9 of harvested fish of a species. Only inches, and the largest walleye measured those fish measured by the creel was a 29.6-inch fish. survey clerk are reported. Northern Pike (Table 2, Figure 2) CREEL SURVEY RESULTS Fishing effort directed at northern pike AND DISCUSSION was 183 hours during the 2016-17 season. Northern pike fishing effort was greatest in

July (98 hours). Total catch of northern pike Survey Logistics The creel survey went well. We was 83 fish with a harvest of 19 fish. The encountered no unusual problems mean length of harvested northern pike was conducting the survey or calculating the 25.8 inches, and the largest northern pike projections contained in the report. This measured was a 27.5-inch fish. was the eighth time the Department Muskellunge (Table 2, Figure 3) conducted a creel survey on Trout Lake. The last creel survey took place in 2013-14. Anglers spent 1,274 hours targeting muskellunge during the 2016-17 season. Muskellunge fishing effort was greatest in General Angler Information Anglers spent 19,258 hours, or 5.0 hours October (383 hours). There was no per acre, fishing Trout Lake during the documented catch or harvest of muskellunge 2016-17 season (Table 1). That was less during the survey. than the Vilas County average of 35.2 hours per acre, and slightly less than the fishing Smallmouth Bass (Table 2, Figure 4) effort documented suring the 2013-14 creel Fishing effort targeted at smallmouth survey (5.7 hours per acre). May was the bass was 1,866 hours during the 2016-17 most heavily fished month (5,317 hours). season. Smallmouth bass fishing effort was Fishing effort was lightest in December (152 greatest in June (470 hours). Total catch of hours). The creel clerks were able to smallmouth bass was 874 fish, with 8 conduct 543 interviews throughout the harvested. Highest catch (414 fish) occurred survey. in May. Anglers fished an average of 2.6 hours to catch a smallmouth bass during the RESULTS BY SPECIES survey. Walleye (Table 2, Figure 1) Walleyes received the most fishing effort

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Largemouth Bass (Table 2, Figure 5) 1,053 hours. Total catch of yellow perch was Fishing effort directed at largemouth 3,479 fish, with 610 being harvested. The bass was 164 hours during the 2016-17 mean length of yellow perch harvested was season. Largemouth bass fishing effort was 9.4 inches. greatest in October (104 hours). Total catch received 143 hours of directed of largemouth bass was 64 fish, with no fishing effort, with 24 bluegills caught, and documented harvest. Highest catch (21 fish) 11 harvested. occurred in May. Anglers fished an average Black Crappies received 27 hours of of 101.0 hours to catch a largemouth bass directed fishing effort, with no documented during the survey. catch or harvest. Pumpkinseeds and Rock Bass were Lake Trout (Table 2, Figure 6) also caught in low numbers during the 2016- There were 3,014 hours of lake trout 17 season. fishing effort during 2016-17 fishing season. The greatest effort occurred during the ACKNOWLEDGMENTS month of July (1,172 hours). Total catch Completion of this survey was possible was 683 fish, with 24 harvested. Anglers because of the efforts of the following fished 5.6 hours to catch, and 124.8 hours to fisheries management and treaty fisheries harvest, a lake trout during the survey. staff: Lawrence Eslinger, Jeff Blonski, Joelle Underwood, Jason Halverson, Steve Gilbert, Cisco (Lake Herring) (Table 2, Figure 7) and Tim Tobias. Matt Meulemans, John Fishing effort targeted at ciscoes was Davis, Mike Rynski, Eric Brown, and Doug 181 hours during the 2016-17 season. Cisco Day were the creel clerks on Trout Lake fishing effort was greatest in January (104 during the survey period. hours). Total catch of ciscoes was 112 fish, We thank all the anglers who took the with 20 harvested. Highest catch (58 fish) time to offer information about their fishing occurred in January. Anglers fished an trip to the survey clerk. Without their average of 3.4 hours to catch a cisco during cooperation the survey would not have been the survey. possible. The Department thanks our cooperators, Lake Whitefish (Table 2, Figure 8) Jim Wallner and Trout Lake Forestry Fishing effort targeted at lake whitefish Headquarters, who generously allowed the was 2,405 hours during the 2016-17 season. department to keep a boat and/or Lake whitefish fishing effort was greatest in snowmobile on their property during this February (971 hours). Total catch of lake survey. whitefish was 920 fish, with 557 harvested. This creel report was reviewed by John Highest catch (315 fish) occurred in Kubisiak, Lawrence Eslinger, and Hadley February. Anglers fished an average of 2.8 Boehm of the Wisconsin Department of hours to catch a lake whitefish during the Natural Resources, Woodruff, Wisconsin. survey. The mean length of harvested lake Additional copies of this report, and whitefish was 15.2 inches. those covering other local lakes, can be obtained from the Woodruff DNR or online Panfish (Table 2, Figures 9-10) at: Yellow Perch were the most sought http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Fishing/north/trtycrls after panfish species during the survey. rvys.html Fishing effort directed at yellow perch was

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Table 1. Sportfishing effort summary, Trout Lake, 2016-17 season.

Ceded Number of 2013-14 Total Vilas County Territory Angler Party Total Angler Total Angler Angler Average Average Month Interviews Hours Hours/Acre Hours/Acre Hours/Acre Hours/Acre May 123 5317 1.4 1.3 5.3 4.9 June 72 2525 0.7 1.4 6.9 6.3 July 87 3580 0.9 0.9 7.3 6.7 August 68 2497 0.7 0.6 6.4 5.4 September 46 1909 0.5 0.5 4.2 3.3 October 69 1267 0.3 0.2 2.0 1.5 December 7 152 0.0 0.2 0.7 1.1 January 40 836 0.2 0.3 1.1 1.7 February 26 1061 0.3 0.1 1.2 1.6 March 5 115 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2 *Summer Total 465 17094 4.5 5.0 32.1 28.1 *Winter Total 78 2164 0.6 0.7 3.1 4.6 Grand Total 543 19258 5.0 5.7 35.2 32.7

*"Summer" is May-October; "Winter" is December-March

Number of Angler Party Interviews is the number of groups of anglers interviewed by the creel clerk. A party is considered the members of a group who fish together in the same boat, ice shanty, or from shore. The clerk fills out one interview form for each group of anglers. The number of individual anglers actually contacted by the clerk is usually much greater than the number of groups listed in this table since most groups consist of more than one angler.

Total Angler Hours is the estimated total number of hours that anglers spent fishing on Trout Lake during each month surveyed.

Total Angler Hours/Acre is the total angler hours divided by the area of the lake in acres. This is useful in order to compare effort on Trout Lake to other lakes.

2013-14 Total Angler Hours/Acre is the total angler hours divided by the area of the lake in acres. This is from the previous creel survey that took place on Trout Lake.

County Average Hours/Acre is the average angler effort in hours per acre for county lakes that have been surveyed since 1990. This value is useful for fishing pressure comparisons with other waters.

Ceded Territory Average Hours/Acre is the average angler effort in hours per acre for inland lakes in the Ceded Territory that have been surveyed since 1990. This value can be used to compare Trout Lake to other lakes in northern Wisconsin.

5 Table 2. Comparison of creel survey synopses, Trout Lake, 2016-17 and 2013-14 fishing seasons.

CREEL YEAR: 2016-17 SPECIFIC SPECIFIC MEAN DIRECTED CATCH HARVEST LENGTH OF EFFORT PERCENT TOTAL RATE TOTAL RATE HARVESTED SPECIES (Hours) OF TOTAL CATCH (Hrs/Fish) * HARVEST (Hrs/Fish) ** FISH Walleye 10543 57.1% 2083 5.1 902 11.8 17.9 Northern Pike 183 1.0% 83 8.3 19 12.3 25.8 Muskellunge 1274 6.9% 0 0 Smallmouth Bass 1866 10.1% 874 2.6 8 243.9 18.5 Largemouth Bass 164 0.9% 64 101.0 0 Lake Trout 3014 29.2% 683 5.6 24 125.0 32.1 Yellow Perch 1053 5.7% 3479 0.4 610 1.9 9.4 Bluegill 143 0.8% 24 9.0 11 12.9 7.8 Black Crappie 27 0.1% 0 0 Pumpkinseed 0 0.0% 8 0 Rock Bass 5 0.0% 70 0 Cisco 181 1.0% 112 3.4 20 14.7 9.3 Whitefish 2405 23.3% 920 2.8 557 4.7 15.2 6 * A blank cell in this column indicates that no fish of a given species were caught by anglers who specifically targeted that species. ** A blank cell in this column indicates that no fish of a given species were harvested by anglers who specifically targeted that species.

CREEL YEAR: 2013-14 SPECIFIC SPECIFIC MEAN DIRECTED CATCH HARVEST LENGTH OF EFFORT PERCENT TOTAL RATE TOTAL RATE HARVESTED SPECIES (Hours) OF TOTAL CATCH (Hrs/Fish) * HARVEST (Hrs/Fish) ** FISH Walleye 14080 55.9% 4289 3.3 2084 6.8 18.4 Northern Pike 445 1.8% 59 69.9 6 69.9 20.3 Muskellunge 1714 6.8% 6 285.7 0 Smallmouth Bass 2566 10.2% 1183 3.2 4 714.3 19.3 Largemouth Bass 571 2.3% 41 28.7 0 Lake Trout 1422 13.3% 514 4.4 6 250.0 31.5 Yellow Perch 632 5.7% 826 2.0 235 5.6 8.9 Bluegill 307 1.2% 130 2.5 34 9.0 7.4 Black Crappie 128 1.2% 17 7.6 17 7.6 10.5 Pumpkinseed 194 1.8% 3 3 6.8 Rock Bass 0 0.0% 3 3 7.0 Cisco 145 0.6% 170 4.3 24 6.1 8.9 Whitefish 2986 11.9% 1060 2.9 1001 3.0 16.7 WALLEYE

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT

5000 4618

4000

3000

1874 2000 1435 952 796 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 1000 609

35 150 58 16 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 160.0 147.1 1200 954 120.0 900

544 80.0 600 480 450

300 160 40.0 95 100 21.1 20.9 24.4 58 47 HOURS PER FISH 38 15.1 16.3 NUMBER OF FISH 5 31 0 0 15 9 0 0 0 0 8.5 12.3 9.5 13.4 12.2 4.9 3.0 4.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR.

7 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

MONTH CATCH HARVEST

CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED 50 MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 35 29.6 29.0 30 39 26.0 26.0 40 34 25 22.5 32 19.7 18.5 19.3 19.0 19.5 30 28 20 17.8 17.1 17.7 18.1 24 INCHES 15 20 10 5 NUMBER OF FISH 10 1 2 2 2 1 2 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 1. Walleye sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 120 NORTHERN PIKE 98 90

60

37 32 30 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 16

0 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 6.0 5.1 40 37

30 4.0

20 2.2 2.2 14 15 15 2.0 8 10 6 4 3 HOURS PER FISH 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 NUMBER OF FISH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 8 MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 40 3

30 27.2 27.2 27.5 25.4 2 2 20 INCHES 1 1 1 10 NUMBER OF FISH 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 2. Northern pike sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. MUSKELLUNGE

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 500

383 400 353

300

9 218 187 200 133

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 100

0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

Figure 3. Muskellunge sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. SMALLMOUTH BASS PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 470 500 449

400

300 248 241 234 224 200

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 100

0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 500 74.1 80.0 414 400 60.0 54.3 300 262 40.0 200

86 20.0 13.6 13.3 15.5 100 NUMBER OF FISH 30 35 47

HOURS PER FISH 6.8 0 0 4 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.2 0.0 1.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR.

10 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 20 18.5 18.7 3 16

2 12 2

INCHES 8

1 4

NUMBER OF FISH 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 4. Smallmouth bass sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. LARGEMOUTH BASS

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 120 104

90

60 60

30 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 0 0 0 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH 11

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 25 80.0 21 64.1 20 60.0 15 13 11 40.0 10 8 6 5 20.0 5 NUMBER OF FISH HOURS PER FISH 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

Figure 5. Largemouth bass sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. LAKE TROUT

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT

1500

1172 1200 950 900

600 386

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 300 237 243

26 0 0 0 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 400 160.0 151.5

294 120.0 300 92.6 12 80.0 200

39.5 98 74 40.0 100 61 69

NUMBER OF FISH 34 HOURS PER FISH 7.2 9.7 6.6 17 19 0.0 4.2 4.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 6 8 10 0 11 0 5 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK FISH HARVESTED 40 4 35.1 35.6 31.2 31.2 29.7 29.7 29.7 29.7 30

2 20 2 INCHES 1 1 1 10 NUMBER OF FISH

0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45 47 49 51 53 55 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 6. Lake Trout sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 120 CISCO OR LAKE HERRING 104

77 80 NO PICTURE AVAILABLE

40 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING

0 0 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES 10.0 PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 8.5 80 8.0 58 60 6.0 5.5 40 4.0 29 2.6 2.0 20 15 13 HOURS PER FISH 7 NUMBER OF FISH 5 5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0

13 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF 2 MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK FISH HARVESTED 15

11.6 12 9.5 1 1 9 8.0 8.0 1

INCHES 6

NUMBER OF FISH 3

0 0 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. INCHES MONTH AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 7. Ciscos sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. LAKE WHITEFISH

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 1200

971 900 732 NO PICTURE AVAILABLE 600

300 ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 184 140 144 135 99 0 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES 60.0 PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 52.1 400 45.0 314 315 300

30.0 199 205 200 128 15.0 9.5 9.5 100

HOURS PER FISH 5.9 6.6 53 5.0 3.5 3.7 4.7 3.9 5.2 37 36 31 44 2.3 3.1 NUMBER OF FISH 21 21 22 25 19 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 6 0 0 0 3 0.0 0

14 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF FISH HARVESTED LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH 25 40 MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK

18.9 19.5 20 18.8 18.7 18.2 30 17.5 18.1 18.0 16.9 16.6 16.9 30 15.9 15.3 25 14.4 15 12.6 12.6

18 20 INCHES 10 15 14 10 10 10 8 5

NUMBER OF FISH 6

1 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 8. Lake Whitefish sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. YELLOW PERCH

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT

500 427 400

300 243 226 200

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 100 66 47 23 13 8 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 2000 5.0 4.5 1600 1524 4.0 3.1 1122 3.0 1200

2.0 1.5 800 1.3 1.1 314 1.0 0.6 400 226 252 197

NUMBER OF FISH 178

HOURS PER FISH 0.4 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 102 80 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 33 12 40 0 0 3 0 5 0 0 0 0.0 0 15 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK FISH HARVESTED 19 20 14 12.8 11.8 12 11.3 11.2 11.1 11.1 14 9.7 9.6 9.6 9.9 15 10 8.5 12 12 7.9 8 10 6 INCHES 6 4 5 NUMBER OF FISH 2 2 2 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 9. Yellow perch sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season. BLUEGILL

PROJECTED FISHING EFFORT 120 102

80

40 27

9

ANGLING HOURS ANGLING 5 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MONTH

PROJECTED SPECIFIC CATCH AND HARVEST RATES PROJECTED CATCH AND HARVEST 16.0 20 13.1 13.1 16 12.0 15

8.0 10 8 8

4.0 2.6 5 3

HOURS PER FISH 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 NUMBER OF FISH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 16 MONTH MONTH CATCH HARVEST CATCH HARVEST

AVERAGE AND LARGEST LENGTH OF LENGTH DISTRIBUTION OF FISH FISH HARVESTED 3 MEASURED BY THE CREEL CLERK 10 7.8 7.9 8 2 2 6

4 INCHES 1 2

NUMBER OF FISH 0 0 MAY JUN. JUL. AUG. SEP. OCT. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 MONTH INCHES AVERAGE LARGEST

Figure 10. Bluegill sportfishing effort, catch, harvest, and length distribution, Trout Lake, during 2016-17 season.