Why don't Lake Erie salmon grow as large?

[Rich]

A 20lb fish is huge, 30 is pretty much unheard of. After spacing out at work and thinking about this today, I really couldn't develop a theory WHY the Lake Erie salmon are smaller on average than Lake Ontario salmon.

 

Food source? I doubt it.. we have the alewife, shad and smelt not to mention shiners in great supply.

 

I know there is a reason behind it.. just not sure what it is?

[danbo]

Too much competition with 'eyes & bows! For real.

[Rich]

Dang. I hope they hurry up and kill off the annoying walleye population again.

 

jk of course. I hope it happens naturally.

[ctdd2006]

......c'mon leave the eyes alone! lol Lake O ain't that far!

[CLofchik]

All the salmon in Erie are Huron fish that have burned off all their fat in a desperate hunt for food........

 

Maybe all the Atlantics are stealing their food?

[Greencoachdog]

... because Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes?

[HTHM]

There is salmon in ERIE!?

[forrest]

... because Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes?

 

This sounds like a lead. All I know (read) is that bigger salmon like colder water.

[Musky or Specks]

It has to do with the amount of deep water forage. Salmon preferred temperature range limits their movement in the water column. All the nice phyto and zoo plankton (which baitfish love) is in water that is to warm for the salmon.

[tipupesox]

I know New York hasn't stocked salmon for years. There are a few straglers that show up form time to time in some of the local streams but not like the runs that happened in the early 80's. Average fish size in those days ranged from around 5-15 lbs. Forage base and competition is what primarily kept these fish smaller than Lake Ontario fish.

[jdmls]

This is the first time I have felt better about living closer to Lake O tribs , than the Lake Erie tribs ! Just thought I would throw that out there...Though I would be a lot happier with 10-15 lb Salmon in the rivers...so would my float rods

[tipupesox]

Personally, I prefer the Erie tribs. Nothing better than catching steel in the Fall and Spring than those mud sharks. Also, without sounding prejudice, salmon fishing bring out a totally differnet kind of people up here in New York.

[chickenhawk]

Erie tribs are way better to fish.....there isn't poop all over the shoreline....and the tribs i fish on Lake Erie are all private property.....so no one around for MILES......and I have seen some pretty big salmon in the delhi area before....

 

Hawk

[Canuck2fan]

Dang. I hope they hurry up and kill off the annoying walleye population again.

 

jk of course. I hope it happens naturally.

 

Careful Rich.... That gomer who owns all the fishing tug boats in Port Stanley might be reading this and think he has permission to up his quota by a couple hundred thousand tonnes..... OH too late he does that every year and just pays the fines.

 

The sad part is I wish I was joking....

Edited September 26, 2008 by Canuck2fan