1985-2005 June Monthly Summary

 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 June, from the 1985-2005 DEC Lake Ontario fishing

 boat censuses.

Harvest Rates Per Boat Trip Among Boats Fishing for Trout & Salmon:

  Harvest Rates Per Boat trip Among Boats Fishing for Smallmouth Bass:

June 2005 was an unusually hot month, with frequent calm periods, resulting in rapidly increasing water temperatures.  Fishing effort was estimated at 11,670 fishing boat trips, a 34.0% increase compared to June 2004, and essentially equal to (down just 2.9%) the 2000-2004 June average (previous 5 years).  Boats targeting trout and salmon accounted for 5,363 boat trips, 12.1% higher than June 2004, but still 4.0% below the 2000-2004 June average for trout and salmon anglers.  Boats targeting smallmouth bass from the season opener (June 18) until the end of the month accounted for 4,626 boat trips, double the 2004 June estimate (+100.1%), and just 1.8% less than the 2000-2004 June average for boats targeting smallmouth bass.

The total number of trout and salmon harvested in June 2005 was estimated at 7,949 fish, 13.7% higher than the 2000-2004 average June harvest.  Brown trout was the most commonly harvested species, comprising 48.6% of the June 2005 salmonine harvest, with Chinook salmon a distant second contributing 22.0%.  Smallmouth bass harvest in June 2005 was estimated at 7,186 fish, a 67.9% increase compared to June 2004, but 30.3% less than the 2000-2004 average June bass harvest.  Yellow perch harvest in June 2005 was estimated at 2,933 fish, a 77.2 % increase compared to its 2000-2004 June average.

Fishing quality for trout and salmon as measured by harvest rates was good in June 2005.  The trout and salmon harvest rate among boats seeking trout and salmon was 1.48 fish per boat trip, a 20.3% increase compared to the 2000-2004 June average.  Comparisons among the salmonine species show that June 2005 harvest rates were above their respective 2000-2004 averages for Chinook salmon (+116.7%), coho salmon (+79.9%), brown trout (+20.4%),and rainbow trout (+12.6%), and below their respective averages for lake trout (-35.4%) and Atlantic salmon (none observed in June 2005).  The smallmouth bass harvest rate among boats seeking smallmouth bass during the open season was 1.50 fish per boat trip, a 26.1% reduction compared to the 2000-2004 average June smallmouth bass harvest rate.

1985-2005 April-June Monthly Summary

Preliminary summary of fishing boat trips and fish harvested, and harvest rates per boat trip for trout and salmon among boats seeking these species,

for the months of April - June, from the 1985-2005 DEC Lake Ontario fishing boat censuses.

  Harvest Rates Per Boat Trip Among Boats Fishing for Trout & Salmon:

Fishing effort for the months of April-June 2005 (3-month total) was estimated at 29,305 fishing boat trips.  This was a 34.8% increase compared to April-June 2004, and a 11.0% increase compared to the 2000-2004 April-June average (previous 5 years).  Boats targeting trout and salmon accounted for 22,195 boat trips, 75.7% of the total 2005 April-June fishing effort, and 14.8% higher than the 2000-2004 April-June average for trout and salmon fishermen.

The total number of trout and salmon harvested in April-June 2005 was estimated at 42,406 fish, the highest April-June total estimated since 1998, and 45.1% higher than the 2000-2004 average April-June salmonine harvest.  Brown trout and Chinook salmon have dominated the 2005 salmonine harvest, comprising 46.0% and 37.8% respectively of the April-June total.  Yellow perch harvest in April-June 2005 was estimated at 4,521 fish, the highest 3-month total observed since 1987, and 120.8% higher than the 2000-2004 average April-June perch harvest.

Trout and salmon harvest rates in 2005 among boats targeting trout and salmon have been above average (previous 5 years) in all three months, and the 2005 April-June harvest rate was estimated at 1.91 salmonines per boat trip.  This was the fifth highest April-June harvest rate among the 21 years censused, and 26.1% higher than the 2000-2004 average April-June salmonine harvest rate.  Comparisons by species show that 2005 April-June harvest rates were above their respective 2000-2004 April-June averages for Chinook salmon (+147.6%, and the highest April-June Chinook harvest rate among the years censused), coho salmon (+62.0%), and brown trout (+13.6%), and below their respective 2000-2004 April-June averages for rainbow trout (-41.6%), lake trout (-66.5%, and the lowest April-June lake trout harvest rate among the years censused), and Atlantic salmon (-75.3%).