OBSERVATIONS OF THE NEAR-SHORE FISH COMMUNITY
IN THE U.S. WATERS OF NORTHERN
LAKE HURON, 1993

November 1994

Anjanette Hintz
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Fishery Resources Office
Alpena, Michigan
anjanette_hintz@fws.gov

Provisional data, not to be cited without permission.

INTRODUCTION

Since 1991, many unmarked (presumably wild) chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, have been incidentally captured during annual brown trout stock assessment activities in Thunder Bay by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) - Alpena Great Lakes Research Station. In 1993 the MDNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) surveyed several nearshore sites along the western coast of Lake Huron for chinook salmon in an effort to quantify natural recruitment to chinook populations and to identify their probable sources. The MDNR analyzed the chinook catch from these survey efforts in a 1994 Federal Aid Report (VanAmberg & Rakoczy 1994). Incidental catch of other nearshore species was recorded during these survey efforts. The species composition and the dynamics of the nearshore community is unknown and is of interest to state managers. This report is a description of the rarely analyzed near-shore community of forage species and a brief discussion of possible management implications.

STUDY SITES

Eight sites were sampled along the western coast of Lake Huron. Study sites consisted of beaches or beach areas near river mouths at Hammond Bay, Ocqueoc River, Thunder Bay, Devils River, Black River, AuSable River, Tawas Bay, and AuGres/Rifle River. Two to three locations were sampled at each of the eight sites.

METHODS

Nighttime beach seining was conducted once weekly¹ from April to July 1993 (Figure 1) at each site. A 150 foot seine, consisting of a 50 ft 3/8 inch mesh central panel and two 50 ft 1/2 inch mesh wings, was used to collect fish. Each seine tow originated from a point on shore. Weather, water temperature and seining conditions were recorded at each site. Captured fish were identified to species (Samuel & Eddy 1987) and counted. Predator lengths and weights were recorded. Individual seine hauls were used to calculate catch per unit of effort (CPE)². CPE was recorded for each species by location and date. Alewife availability (CPE) was analyzed at each location by date. This information may be useful in planning salmon and trout stocking to correspond with highest alewife (forage) availability in order to decrease predation mortality of stocked fish.

Figure 1. Nearshore Collection Sites in the US Waters of Northern Lake Huron From May to July 1993 Were Located at 1) Hammond Bay, 2) Ocqueoc River, 3) Thunder Bay, 4) Devils River, 5) Black River, 6) AuSable River, 7) Tawas Bay, and 8) AuGres/Rifle River.

¹ During the week of 6/13 Hammond Bay and Ocqueoc River sites were not sampled to allow more frequent sampling at Thunder Bay and Devils River sites following brown trout stocking in Thunder Bay.
² Poor seining conditions were encountered during the study and CPE for these dates may not be representative.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Excluding chinook salmon, a total of 18,535 fish were captured in 147 seine hauls. Forty-six fish species were identified and are listed by location in Table 1. CPE for main forage species at each sample site is listed in Table 2.

Table 1. Incidental fish species caught during chinook assessment in U.S. waters of nothern Lake Huron, May to July 1993.

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FISH SPECIES		LOCATION *
Alewife	Alosa pseudoharengus	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Banded killifish	Fundulus diaphanus	THB
Black crappie	Pomoxis nigromaculatus	AGR
Blacknose dace	Rhinichthys atratulus	HB
Bluegill	Lepomis macrochirus	OR, ASR
Brassy minnow	Hybognathus hankinsoni	HB, OR, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Brook stickleback	Culaea inconstans	HB, OR, THB, DR, ASR, TAB
Brook trout	Salvelinus fontinalis	OR
Brown bullhead	Ictalurus nebulosus	TAB, AGR
Brown trout	Salmo trutta	HB, OR, THB, DR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Carp	Cyprinus carpio	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Coho salmon	Oncorhynchus kisutch	BR
Common shiner	Notropis cornutus	BR
Emerald shiner	Notropis atherinoides	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Freshwater drum	Aplodinotus grunniens	BR, ASR,AGR
Gizzard shad	Dorosoma cepedianum	BR
Golden shiner	Notemigonus crysoleucas	OR
Hornyhead chub	Nocomis buguttatus	DR, BR
Johnny darter	Etheostoma nigrum	HB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Lake chub	Couesius plumbeus	HB, OR, BR
Lake trout	Salvelinus namaycush	HB
Lake whitefish	Coregonus clupeaformis	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB
Sea lamprey	Petromyzon marinus	OR, DR, BR
Logperch	Percina caprodes	BR, AGR
Longnose dace	Rhinichthys cataractae	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Longnose gar	Lepisosteus osseus	AGR
Longnose sucker	Catostomus catostomus	HB, BR, ASR
Mimic shiner	Notropis volucellus	ASR, AGR
Ninespine stickleback	Pungitius pungitius	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, AGR, TAB
Northern pike	Esox lucius	DR, AGR
Rainbow smelt	Osmerus mordax	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, AGR, TAB
Rainbow trout	Onchorynchus mykiss	HB, OR, BR, ASR, TAB
River chub	Nocomis micropogon	AGR
Rockbass	Ambloplites rupestris	OR, DR
Sand shiner	Notropis stramineus	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Shortnose gar	Lepisosteus platostomus	OR, AGR
Slimy sculpin	Cottus cognatus	HB, OR, DR, BR
Smallmouth bass	Micropterus dolomieui	THB, BR, AGR
Spotfin shiner	Notropis spilopterus	DR, AGR
Spottail shiner	Notropis hudsonius	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Threespine stickleback	Gasterosteus aculeatus	ASR
Trout-perch	Percopsis omiscomaycus	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Walleye	Stizostedion vitreum	THB, BR, TAB
White bass	Morone chrysops	THB
White sucker	Catostomus commersoni	HB, OR, THB, DR, BR, ASR, TAB, AGR
Yellow perch	Perca flavescens	OR, THB, ASR, TAB, AGR

* Locations which were sampled included:   Hammond Bay (HB), Ocqueoc River (OR), Thunder Bay (THB), Devils River (DR), Black River (BR), AuSable River (ASR), Tawas Bay (TAB), and AuGres River (AGR).

 

Table 2.  Catch per effort (CPE*) of incidental species^ captured during chinook assessment in U.S. waters of northern Lake Huron, May to July 1993.

* CPE is catch per tow with a 150ft seine (50ft 3/8in mesh central panel with 50ft 1/2in mesh wings).
^ Incidental species abbreviations:  alewife (ALE), spottail shiner (STS), sand shiner (SAS), lake whitefish (LWF), longnose dace (LND), rainbow smelt (SMT), trout-perch (TRP), emerald shiner (EMS), carp (CAP), white sucker (WHS), ninespine stickleback (NIS), brook stickleback (BRS), slimy sculpin (SLS), brown trout (BNT), and yellow perch (YEP).

Alewife, spottail shiner, and sand shiner were the most ubiquitous species collected. Alewife was the most abundant species at Tawas Bay, the Ocqueoc River, and the AuSable River (Table 2). Sand shiner tied with alewife as the most abundant species at the Ocqueoc River, and spottail shiner was the most abundant species at the Black River.

Localized abundances of young-of-the-year lake whitefish were found in the Thunder Bay area from late May through the end of June (Table 2). Lake whitefish were the most abundant species caught in Thunder Bay and at the Devils River. Abundances peaked during the same week for both areas in late May. Lake whitefish spawn from November to early December on shallow rocky shoals and other firm substrate; and larvae move inshore after hatching in mid-April (Goodyear et. al 1982). Spawning in Thunder Bay has been noted in the area off North Point and on the gravel shoals on the east side of Sulfur Island (Goodyear et. al 1982). Larval whitefish hatched from these areas may be contributing to the catch at the Thunder Bay site (Alpena). Spawning was also noted around Scarecrow Island, from which larvae may be contributing to catches at the Devils River and also drifting to and contributing to the catch at the Black River, where a number of lake whitefish were caught (Goodyear et. al 1982).

Localized abundances of longnose dace were found in the Hammond Bay area (Table 2). It was the most abundant species caught at the Hammond Bay site with high numbers mid May through early June. It was the third most abundant species caught at the Ocqueoc River where abundances peaked in late May. High numbers of longnose dace in this area likely are due to spawning runs into the Ocqueoc River, as Goodyear et. al (1982) noted spawning runs in Carp Creek and the Ocqueoc River from mid-April to late May. Spawning occurs on riffles and mouths of streams, and on wave-swept lake shore and beaches from late April to late July in 57-66 °F water, then dace return to the lake.

Rainbow smelt was a minor portion of the incidental catch (Table 2). The highest catch rate, CPE=5.5, occurred at Hammond Bay where numbers peaked in late June-early July. Smelt were also found in abundance at the AuSable River and at Tawas Bay where CPE peaked in mid May.

An abundance of white sucker was captured at the Ocqueoc River. A large catch, CPE=19.5, occurred in mid-June (Table 2). The Ocqueoc River supports a large spawning run in May and fish return to the lake in late May or June following spawning (Goodyear et al 1982).

Emerald shiner abundances were found at Thunder Bay and the AuGres River (Table 2). CPE peaked in late June in Thunder Bay and in mid May in the AuGres River.

Stickleback and sculpin abundances were only found in the Hammond Bay area (Table 2). Ninespine stickleback and brook stickleback were abundant at both the Hammond Bay and Ocqueoc River sites. Brook stickleback were more abundant at both locations and CPE peaked in late May at the Ocqueoc River and in late June at Hammond Bay. Slimy sculpin were only abundant at the Hammond Bay site where CPE peaked in mid May.

An abundance of trout-perch were caught in Thunder Bay. Trout-perch CPE peaked in late June.

Water temperatures at the AuGres River site were higher than temperatures at the northern sites, in most cases, throughout the sampling period and water temperatures warmed more quickly than at most other sites. Collections revealed fish such as long and shortnose gar, freshwater drum, river chub, brown bullhead, carp, and yellow perch; a community resembling a warmwater fish community. The catch of yellow perch and carp exceeded that of any other site sampled, and the main forage fishes- alewife, spottail shiner and sand shiner -were low in number (Table 2). The AuGres River site likely would support a warmwater fishery due to its warmer temperatures and its location on the shallow waters of Saginaw Bay.

Alewife and spottail shiner were commonly collected at all sites, and in analyzing fish species abundances, it is noted at Thunder Bay, Devils River, and Black River that spottail numbers decreased abruptly when alewife showed up in the catch (Table 2). Catch of spottail shiners decreased approximately 90 percent when alewife entered the catch and remained low while alewife were present at the Thunder Bay site. At the Devils River site spottail shiners were the most abundant forage in the catch prior to the first appearance of alewife and declined shortly after alewife became abundant. The Black River catch of spottail shiner declined rapidly following the appearance of alewife in the catch.

The Michigan DNR annually stocks salmon and trout at various sites along the western coast of Lake Huron. By coordinating fish stocking with periods of high alewife abundance, stocked fish mortality may be decreased as predators would likely be feeding on the alewife. Information on alewife life history and presence at stocking locations may provide valuable information as to a preferred time of stocking.

Alewife spawn along the shore and tributaries of northwestern Lake Huron. Alewife move inshore from deeper waters during April-June when temperatures reach 43-50°F to spawn in shallow waters (Goodyear et. al 1982). The Michigan DNR stocks fish from shore and in nearshore waters of bays. Coordinating fish stocking with highest alewife abundances provides the best situation for natural buffering against predation. Trout and salmon are stocked at Hammond Bay, Thunder Bay, AuSable River, Tawas Bay, and AuGres River; and alewife timing may be of particular interest at these sites. Alewife CPE by site for each sample date are represented graphically in Figure 2-9 in order to analyze alewife occurrence at these nearshore sites. Both adult and juvenile alewife were captured in seine hauls; however, the adult stage was more abundant than the juvenile stage.

Figure 2. Alewife availability (CPE*) at Hammond Bay from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.
* No data was collected 6/13.

Figure 3.   Alewife availability (CPE*) at Ocqueoc River from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.
* No data was collected 5/16 or 6/13.

Figure 4.   Alewife availability (CPE*) at Thunder Bay from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.

Figure 5. Alewife availability (CPE*) at the Devils River from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.

Figure 6.   Alewife availability (CPE*) at the Black River from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.

Figure 7.   Alewife availability (CPE*) at AuSable River from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.

Figure 8.   Alewife availability (CPE*) at Tawas Bay from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.

Figure 9.   Alewife availability (CPE*) at the AuGres River from May to July, 1993.
* CPE is catch per tow with 150ft. 3/8-1/2 inch mesh seine.

According to Goodyear et. al (1982), alewife spawn from Mackinaw City to Oscoda with runs beginning the first half of July. Alewife were present at the Hammond Bay area sites (Figure 2 & 3) in late May 1994. CPE peaked at both the Hammond Bay and Ocqueoc River sites during the week of May 30; however alewife were present at both sites prior to this date. CPE of alewife was higher than any other species at the Ocqueoc River and may be due to spawning runs as spawning has been noted there (Goodyear et. al 1982). A burst of alewife were noted at both sites the second half of June. Alewife CPE peaked in Thunder Bay and at the Devils River the week of June 20. The southern and western shores of Thunder Bay are important spawning and nursery areas for alewife (Goodyear et. al 1982). The CPE for alewife was higher than other species at the AuSable River. Alewife first entered the catch in any numbers at the AuSable River the end of May; however CPE peaked the first week of July.

Timing of peak alewife CPE varied from Tawas Bay to the AuGres/Rifle River (Figure 8 & 9). Peak alewife CPE occurred in mid-May at Tawas Bay and in late June at the AuGres/Rifle River. The peak CPE of alewife in Tawas Bay was five times that of later collections at the same location (alewife abundances dropped to less than one-fifth of peak levels) and more than ten times any collection made at the AuGres/Rifle River site. Alewife catches at the AuGres/Rifle River were low when compared to other collection sites. No larval or juvenile alewife were captured at this site, although the area between Point AuGres and Point Lookout (encompassing the AuGres River mouth) was thought to be an important nursery area for alewife (Goodyear et. al 1982).

LITERATURE CITED

Goodyear, C.D., T.A. Edsall, D.M. Ormsby Dempsey, G.D. Moss, and P.E. Polanski. 1982. Atlas of the spawning and nursery areas of Great Lakes fishes, Volumes I,V, and XIII. FWS/OBS-82/52

Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Chippewa-Ottawa Treaty Fisheries Management Authority, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1992. Assessment of young-of-the-year chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in U.S. waters of Lake Huron, 1993. Unpublished workplan.

VanAmberg, J. and J. Rakoczy. 1994. Investigations into causes of, and solutions for, recent declines in survival of trout stocked in Lake Huron, in: Annual reports for projects F-35-R-19 and F-53-R-10, Sportfish Restoration Program. Fisheries Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Lansing, Michigan.

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