USFWS Biologists Steve Smith shows off a large healthy lake trout during sampling.

USFWS Biologist Steve Smith showing off a healthy Lake Champlain landlocked Atlantic salmon.

During late October and early November, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Resource Office worked with state partners to assess the effects of the sea lamprey control program.  Lake trout and landlocked Atlantic salmon are targeted by nighttime electrofishing at standard sampling locations around Lake Champlain.  Fish are weighed, measured, and examined for evidence of attacks (wounds) from the parasitic sea lamprey.  Data are still being analyzed; however preliminary results indicate a decline in sea lamprey wounding rates and an increase in salmonid size due to the sea lamprey control program.  Further reductions in the sea lamprey population size and further increases in the abundance, size, and health of trout and salmon populations are expected in the coming years.