LOTSA - August 2005 DEC Fishing Boat Census

Preliminary summary of fishing boat trips and fish harvested, and harvest rates per boat trip for trout and salmon and

smallmouth bass among boats seeking these species, for the month of August, from the 1985-2005 DEC Lake Ontario

	10-yr. avg.	5-yr. avg.			Yearly	Estimates
	1985-94	1995-99	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Fishing Boat Trips:	42,618	32,314	29,865	35,936	26,584	28,411	28,151	20,826

No. of Fish Harvested:
Coho Salmon	2,490	2,571	3,774	3,775	541	1,313	2,114	439
Chinook Salmon	27,310	17,651	13,314	12,400	10,653	12,752	21,472	22,685
Rainbow Trout	9,676	11,337	3,721	5,755	4,133	3,305	3,752	2,274
Atlantic Salmon	78	25	0	0	0	0	0	0
Brown Trout	3,660	2,660	2,987	4,101	2,896	4,814	3,390	744
Lake Trout	11,339	3,132	1,425	2,217	5,180	843	739	2,000
Total Trout & Salmon	54,558	37,406	25,223	28,248	23,403	23,027	31,468	28,142

Smallmouth Bass	15,735	19,122	23,799	25,336	11,403	27,134	16,442	10,012
Yellow Perch	763	1,759	1,459	2,488	280	3,976	8,617	232
Walleye	87	580	161	100	872	308	72	2,340

Coho Salmon	0.070	0.110	0.175	0.152	0.031	0.078	0.110	0.031
Chinook Salmon	0.758	0.763	0.617	0.501	0.612	0.759	1.119	1.610
Rainbow Trout	0.283	0.479	0.173	0.232	0.237	0.197	0.196	0.161
Atlantic Salmon	0.002	0.001	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.000
Brown Trout	0.103	0.117	0.136	0.166	0.166	0.287	0.177	0.053
Lake Trout	0.322	0.135	0.066	0.090	0.291	0.050	0.039	0.142
Total Trout & Salmon	1.538	1.607	1.169	1.141	1.337	1.371	1.640	1.997

Fishing effort in August 2005 was estimated at 20,826 fishing boat trips, the lowest August estimate among the 21 years censused, a 26.0% decrease compared to August 2004, and a 30.1% decrease compared to the 2000-2004 August effort average (previous 5 years). Boats targeting trout and salmon accounted for 14,090 boat trips, the lowest August effort estimate for trout and salmon boats, and 29.3% below their 2000-2004 August average. Boats targeting smallmouth bass accounted for 6,115 boat trips, the sixth lowest August estimate for bass anglers, and 32.5% less than their 2000-2004 August average.

Despite the record low level of targeted fishing effort, the total number of trout and salmon harvested in August 2004 was estimated at 28,142 fish, 7.1% higher than the 2000-2004 average August salmonine harvest. Chinook salmon was the most commonly harvested species, comprising 80.6% of the August 2005 salmonine harvest. Smallmouth bass harvest in August 2005 was estimated at 10,012 fish, the second lowest August bass harvest among the years censused, and 51.9% less than the 2000-2004 August average. Estimated walleye harvest jumped dramatically in August 2005, due primarily to several fortuitous interviews with charter boats at Stony Creek and Association Island that had large walleye catches.

Fishing quality as measured by harvest rates was mixed in August 2005. The trout and salmon harvest rate among boats seeking trout and salmon was 2.00 fish per boat trip, a record high August harvest rate, and a 50.0% higher than the 2000-2004 August average rate. Comparisons among the salmonine species show that August 2005 harvest rates were above their respective 2000-2004 averages for Chinook salmon (+123.1%, and a record high August rate among the years censused) and lake trout (+32.5%), and below their respective 2000-2004 August averages for rainbow trout (-22.1%), coho salmon (-71.5%), brown trout (-71.7%), and Atlantic salmon (none observed in August 2005). The smallmouth bass harvest rate among boats seeking smallmouth bass in August 2005 was 1.55 fish per boat trip, the third lowest August harvest rate among the years censused, and 27.8% below the 2000-2004 average August smallmouth bass harvest rate.

Preliminary summary of fishing boat trips and fish harvested, and harvest rates per boat trip for trout and salmon and

smallmouth bass among boats seeking these species, for the months of April-August, from the 1985-2005 DEC Lake

	10-yr. avg.	5-yr. avg.			Yearly	Estimates
	1985-94	1995-99	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Fishing Boat Trips:	141,222	84,673	81,437	83,979	74,051	66,003	65,505	69,644

No. of Fish Harvested:
Coho Salmon	11,736	7,227	7,118	5,885	1,650	3,493	2,974	3,490
Chinook Salmon	55,843	23,683	20,931	21,992	15,052	22,541	40,973	50,653
Rainbow Trout	30,030	22,305	8,005	14,699	6,522	7,863	9,969	6,475
Atlantic Salmon	677	137	24	71	146	18	19	15
Brown Trout	48,958	24,665	26,925	25,030	16,750	21,648	16,695	22,448
Lake Trout	56,539	13,564	7,236	8,220	14,143	4,658	4,203	4,117
Total Trout & Salmon	203,799	91,610	70,242	75,893	54,264	60,220	74,850	87,198

Smallmouth Bass	39,062	39,664	70,047	54,049	33,996	50,888	28,540	25,803
Yellow Perch	6,169	4,552	7,530	6,299	4,190	6,967	12,312	5,239
Walleye	193	1,079	310	181	934	499	352	2,446

Coho Salmon	0.095	0.125	0.135	0.110	0.037	0.091	0.068	0.074
Chinook Salmon	0.464	0.402	0.396	0.410	0.334	0.588	0.939	1.073
Rainbow Trout	0.266	0.375	0.152	0.274	0.145	0.205	0.229	0.137
Atlantic Salmon	0.006	0.002	0.000	0.001	0.003	0.000	0.000	0.000
Brown Trout	0.412	0.412	0.508	0.462	0.368	0.555	0.380	0.476
Lake Trout	0.459	0.230	0.137	0.153	0.311	0.122	0.096	0.087
Total Trout & Salmon	1.702	1.547	1.328	1.410	1.197	1.562	1.713	1.848

Fishing effort for the months of April-August 2005 (5-month total) was estimated at 69,644 fishing boat trips, the third lowest April-August estimate among the 21 years censused, and 6.1% less than the 2000-2004 April-August effort average (previous 5 years). Boats targeting trout and salmon accounted for 47,147 boat trips, the fifth lowest April-August estimate among the years censused, but essentially equal to the 2000-2004 April-August average for trout and salmon fishermen (1.0% higher in 2005). Boats targeting smallmouth bass since the season opener (June 18) accounted for 18,434 boats trips, a effort estimate similar to many of the earlier year censused, but 21.0% less than the 2000-2004 June-August average for bass fishermen.

The total number of trout and salmon harvested in April-August 2005 was estimated at 87,198 fish, a 30.0% increase compared to the 2000-2004 average April-August salmonine harvest. Chinook salmon and brown trout were the most commonly harvested species, comprising 58.1% and 25.7% respectively of the 2005 April-August salmonine total. Smallmouth bass harvest in 2005 was estimated at just 25,803 fish, the third lowest June-August total among the years censused, and a 45.7% decrease compared to the 2000-2004 average June-August smallmouth bass harvest.

Fishing quality as measured by harvest rates was mixed in April-August 2004. The trout and salmon harvest rate among boats seeking trout and salmon was 1.85 fish per boat trip, by a small margin, the second highest April-August trout and salmon harvest rate observed among the 21 years censused, and 28.2% higher than the 2000-2004 April-August average harvest rate. Comparisons among the salmonine species show that April-August 2005 harvest rates were above their respective 2000-2004 averages for Chinook salmon (+101.3%, and a record high among the years censused) and brown trout (+4.7%), and below their respective averages for coho salmon (-16.0%), rainbow trout (-31.8%), lake trout (-46.7%), and Atlantic salmon (-73.1%). The smallmouth bass harvest rate among boats seeking smallmouth bass was 1.35 fish per boat trip, the fourth lowest June-August harvest rate among the years censused, and 28.6% less than the 2000-2004 average June-August smallmouth bass harvest rate.