LAKE ERIE – Trout reproduction in Lake Erie has been documented for the first time in over 60-years, according to New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation.
The DEC’s Lake Erie Fisheries Research Unit confirmed that Wild Lake Trout fry, baby trout, were found in the lake on Wednesday.
Officials say the find is a key milestone in the restoration of lake trout after six decades of significant investments to improve water quality.
The discovery follows a study the DEC conducted to find potential lake trout spawning areas in eastern Lake Erie. They discovered fry fish trapped off on a rock reef five miles west of Barcelona Harbor in Chautauqua County back in May.
Researchers at Trent University confirmed the identification of a trout fry through genetic bar-coding in July.
Lake trout were once the top predator the lake, some fish were measured at 75 pounds.
Commercial fishing for lake trout in Lake Erie starting in the 1700s destroyed the lake population and by 1965 there were no more lake trout.
Leave a Reply