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[Fishinpole]

Someone told me they read that the lakers in the lake do not reproduce. Does anyone have the correct information on this? What about the Salmon?

[pman]

That is true, the lakers do not reproduce, all put and take fish. How ever, about 20% of the salmon population used to be natural, but the alewives have a negative effect on the male salmon therefore making them sterile.

[Bearcat]

I wonder why the lakers don't reproduce? I was told that Lake George has a naturally sustaining lake trout population. Why don't the same fish reproduce in LC? and does anyone know if ANY of the LL's have been found to reproduce in LC?

[Captain Paul]

The Lake Trout in Lake Champlain do reproduce but the vast majority do not survive more than a few weeks after they hatch but I heard Ellen found a couple of fish last year that she thinks were natural so there may still be hope

[Matt]

Lakers do reproduce as Paul said, but it seems that once the fry are of age, they travel to the deeper water and "disappear". I think they're leaning towards predation (white perch?).

[fishfarmer]

I wonder why the lakers don't reproduce? I was told that Lake George has a naturally sustaining lake trout population. Why don't the same fish reproduce in LC? and does anyone know if ANY of the LL's have been found to reproduce in LC?

The Salmon "do" reproduce meaning if they find suitable gravel in the lake's tributaries they will spawn, but highly unlikey that the resulting wild fry would fare well in the lower Winooski, lower Saranac, Otter Creek, Lamoille river. The Boquet River as well as the Winooski have fish passage to more productive upstream areas for spawning potential. I've never heard of significant recruitment to the Lake fishery from wild spawned salmon, but there are areas that it could happen. The alewives won't help due to the thiamine issue, most fry or eggs would have to be treated with thiamine to survive.

[Fishinpole]

I have caught many Lakers and a number of salmon around the Willsboro point and bay area and of all the fished cleaned I only found one Alewive in one fish. Two years at least half the fish had them. Has their numbers declined or is it just where we are fishing?

[tamiron]

Lakers do reproduce as Paul said, but it seems that once the fry are of age, they travel to the deeper water and "disappear". I think they're leaning towards predation (white perch?).

About three years ago, I mentioned the astonishing information that was provided by Fishery Biologist, Ned Holmes, in Pultneyville, NY.

When he asked for more questions, and nobody seemed to have any, I asked about the teeth that smelt had and wondered what their diet was. The answer almost knocked me off my chair when he stated "juvenile lake trout". At the time, salmon had not really taken hold and my next question was why do you limit the possession of smelt?????? I don't remember his answer to that one. Smoke was still coming out of my ears.

[fishingmachine]

when the smelt returned to Lake Bomoseen a few years ago the best bait we used for ice fishing smelt was fathead minnows,even the bigger fatheads,like 3 inches long.the smelt would hit them but it was hard to get a hook in them.Not hard for me to believe the smelt will eat laker fry,or salmon fry or any fry.