The lake trout can be found all over America, but originates in New England, Great Lakes, and in Alaska. Lake trout are mostly stocked as a sport fish, but was also stocked to restore populations within its native range that had been decimated by the sea lamprey. The lake trout often will lead to the demise of other trout species where it is introduced. For example, when the lake trout was introduced into lake Tahoe, it led to the elimination of the Lahontan cutthroat (a fish native to the lake). Lake trout can grow `up to 4 feet in length and weigh on average 2 – 12 pounds. One of the biggest lake trout was caught in Michigan, weighing in at 65 pounds. Because these fish are so big, they will eat many of the other fish that are in the lake. There is not really anything being done to reduce the impact of the lake trout. Since it is a popular game fish, people do not want the population of the lake trout reduced, even at the cost of other fish.
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?SpeciesID=942
I never realized that lake trout could get so big.
ReplyDeleteWhy do these trout eliminate other species? Do they kill them, or deplete their food sources?
ReplyDeleteWhy don't people fish the native trout species like the Lahontan cutthroat?
ReplyDeleteThe Lake Trout eat the other fish in the lakes they are put in.
ReplyDeletePeople do still fish for other trout like the Lahontan, but the Lake Trout is a more popular game fish and generally much bigger than the Lahontan cutthroat.
ReplyDelete