Lake trout are an important recreational fishery species in the northern United States and Canada. Lake trout grow to large sizes, and unfished populations can have many large fish. Yet the slow growth and maturation rates of this species mean that maintaining desirable aspects of population structure can be a challenge for fishery managers.
In this project, we are working with the Adirondack chapter of The Nature Conservancy to build a population model of an Adirondack strain, heritage lake trout population and test alternative management strategies for maximizing the fishery's conservation and value. We are also exploring the genetic structure of lake trout populations in the region, and describing the population structure and life history strategies of cisco, a native coregonid fish and key prey for lake trout.
- Publications