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Fishery Progress Report Series No. 03-1: Aziscohos Lake Salmonid Fishery
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Bonney, Forrest R. |
| Copyright Year | 2000 |
| Abstract | Aziscohos Lake is a 6,700-acre (2,714-ha) artificial impoundment located on the Magalloway River in northern Oxford County. The lake is mesotrophic, and supports populations of landlocked salmon (Sa/mo salar), brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), suckers (Catostomidae), brown bullhead (Ameirus nebulosus), and several species of minnows ( Cyprinidae ). It is closed to ice fishing. Salmon are stocked at a low rate to augment natural reproduction. Systematic random creel surveys were conducted in 1991 and 1993 from ice-out to mid-July and during the entire 1986, 1996 and 1999 fishing seasons. Aerial angler counts were made during all survey years except 1993. The estimated number of angler trips ranged from a high of 6,477 (5,768 7,186) in 1996 to 3,703 (2,973-4,433) in 1999. The estimated harvest of salmon and brook trout, available for the years 1986 and 1999, remained relatively consistent. The salmon harvest increased from 0.09 to 0.11 lb/a; the brook trout harvest was 0.05 lb/a both years. Robustness (condition) of both species increased significantly from 1993 to 1996 then declined moderately from 1996 to 1999. The decline in the growth rate from 1986 to 1993 was attributed to a decline in the smelt population. Growth rates improved in 1996 after salmon stocking was temporarily terminated, then resumed at a lower rate. The closure of west-shore tributaries to smelt dipping effective 1996 also contributed to improved forage abundance. Hatchery-reared salmon accounted for 12% of those sampled. A majority of these fish was harvested at age IV+. The majority of the legal-size wild salmon sampled were ages V+ and VI+, though individuals through IX+ were sampled. The brook trout harvest consisted offish primarily of ages III+ and IV+. We will continue to monitor the Aziscohos Lake fishery routinely to determine rates of angler use, salmonid growth and harvest, returns of stocked salmon, and effects of the restrictive brook trout regulations. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://digitalmaine.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1144&context=ifw_docs&httpsredir=1&referer= |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://digitalmaine.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1137&context=ifw_docs |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
