417 DISTRIBUTION AND SEASONAL MOVEMENTS OF SAGINAW BAY FISHES SPECIAL SQENTIFIC REPOKT-FISHERIES Na 417 UNITED STATES DE£ARTMENTJFJ>jEJNTEHIOR^ FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, STEWART L. UDALL, SECRETARY Fish and Wildlife Service, Clarence F. Pautzke, Comnnissioner Bureau of Connmercial Fisheries, Donald L. McKernan, Director DISTRIBUTION AND SEASONAL MOVEMENTS OF SAGINAW BAY FISHES by Ira A. Carr Fishery Biologist Bureau of Commercial Fisheries U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ann Arbor, Michigan United States Fish and Wildlife Service Special Scientific Report--Fisheries No. 417 Washington, D. C. April 1962 CONTENTS Page Intioduction 1 Collection of mateiiak and data 1 Geographical distribution 3 Seasonal movements 4 Alewives 4 Smelt 4 Yellow peich 4 Other species 11 Acknowledgments 11 Literatiiie cited 11 Appendix 12 Ui ABSTRACT The fish collected by the Bureau of Commercial Fisbeiies' M/V Cisco from Saginaw Bay in 1956 yielded no new species records but provided many new locality rectudt within the Bay. The collections included representatives of 47 species; 74 species are known to occur in the Bay. Records from trawling in June -October provided information on seasonal distributl(» and movements of alewives, smelt, and yellow perch. Young (O group) alewlves were first taken in shallow water (2-7 1/2 fathoms) in September and were extremely plentiful in October; small catches were made in deep water (8-25 fathoms) in October. Older alewives were most plentiful in the shallow water of the inner part of the Bay in August. Few were taken at any depth in other months. Young-of -the -year smelt were first taken in July and were subsequently plentiful in shallow water; good catches were made in deep water in October. Older smelt were abundant in shallow areas in June and October but scarce in other months; good deep- water catches were taken in August. The only substantial catch of O -group yellow perch was made in the shallow water of the inner part of the Bay in October. Larger perch were cau^t in hi^ly variable, but usually substantial numbers in shallow water in all months of fishing; moderate num- bers were caught in deep water in August, and the largest catches at any time or depth were in deep water in October. DISTRIBUTION AND SEASONAL MOVEMENTS OF SAGINAW BAY FISHES INTRODUCTION The reseaicb vessel Cisco, Bureau of Commer - cial Fisheries, was used for experimental fishing in Saginaw Bay and the adjacent waters of southern Lake Huron in the summer and fall (June 3 -Novem- ber 27) of 1956. Most fish were taken by trawls and gill nets from depths greater than 10 feet, but collec- tions were supplemented by samples from inshwe seining at depths less than 3 feet. Distribution rec- ords previous to this investigation were very scanty for areas other than the shallow, inshore water of the Bay. The collections of many species were too scat - tered and infrequent to allow positive statements on distribution and seasonal movement. Collections of other species were sufficient, however, to provide general infcsmation on local differences and season- al changes of abundance. This paper is confined to fish caught in Saginaw Bay, defined here as the water southwestward of a line extending from Au Sable Point to Point aux Barques (fig. 1). Another line from Point Lookout (northwest shore) through Charity Island to Oak Point (southeast shore) was chosen to divide the "inner bay" from "outer bay. " The outer bay was further divided into shallow (out to 7 1/2 fathoms) and deep (8-25 fathoms) areas. Conditions in the inner bay and shal- low areas of the outer bay are similar to those com - monly found in inland lakes, whereas conditions in the deeper outer bay approach those of the open waters of Lake Huron. Common names of fish are used throu^out the text except for several species of the genus Coregonus for which only specific names are used. Both com- mon and scientific names are listed for each species in tables 2 and 3. COLLECTION OF MATERIALS AND DATA Most trawling was carried out in daylight, but some night trawling was conducted each cruise. The trawling speed of the Cisco was approximately 3 m. p. h. It varied slightly, depending upon the influence of winds and currents. Trawls usually were towed for 10 minutes. Some tows were cut short because of obsta- cles,and a few longer tows were made to determine the variation of catch with time; the total time range was 3 to 30 minutes. All trawling data recorded in this paper were from tows made on the bottom along the contour. Occasionally the tiawl did not operate properly or was snagged and torn. Data from these tows and from midwater tows were not included in the quantitative records. Of the three types of trawls fished, the most successhil and frequently used was trawl No. 2 (table 1). Experimental nylon gill nets were set on the bot - torn at various depths and obliquely from the surface to the bottom. The gangs of giU nets set on the bot- tom included 250 feet each of 2 1/4-, 2 1/2 -, 2 3/4-, 3-, and 4 -inch mesh, extension measure; these nets were 6 feet deep. During Cruise 9 (November 18-21), 100 feet of 2 -inch mesh and 50 feet each of 1 - and 1 1/2 -inch mesh were added to the original gang. At Station 11 separate gangs of 2 1/2- and 3 1/2-inch mesh were set obliquely at 13 fathoms (two 250 -foot nets of each mesh). Nylon bull nets --2 1/2 -inch mesh, 120 meshes deep, and 300 feet long --were set on the bottom (November 19) and susi>ended 1 fath- om below the surface (June 26). Seining was conducted at 10 inshore stations (fig. 1). All seine hauls were made during daylight with a 1/2 -inch -mesh seine (without bag) 30 feet long and 3 feet deep. The hauls were from 50 to 300 feet per drag in water up to 3 feet deep. Most fish were identified in the field. The iden- tity of questionable specimens was verified later in the laboratory. At least one representative from each species is preserved in the Bureau 's collection. Trawls, seines, and nylon gill nets (both shoal gill nets and bull nets) were used for collecting fish. Station locations, except for seining, were plotted with the aid of radar, and water depth was recorded by an echo-sounder. \l y See Moffen (1954) for desaiption of Cisco equipmeat. Distribution records in this survey are based up- on 10 trawling, 6 gill netting, and 10 seining sta- tions (fig. 1). Five locations were utilized as both trawling and gill netting stations. Most trawling and gill netting stations were visited periodically from June through November (see appendix table 1). All Statute Miles Figure 1. - -Map of Saginaw Bay showing locations and type of fishing at each fishing station. Dotted lines show the lakeward limit of the Bay and the division between the inner and outer bay. Contours are in fathoms. Gill net stations are represented by squares, trawl stations by circles, and seine stations by triangles. See appendix table 1 lot dates the various gears were fished. Table 1. - -Degcription of uawls uied In Saginaw Bay Trawl Times 1/ towed Type 2/ Sweep (feet) Total length (feet) Meib size (Extension measure, inches) number Wings Body Cod Fore Aft end 1 2 3 6 31 6 MS MS EC 34 35 51 31-35 31-35 36 2 11/2-2 1/2 3 1/2 2 11/2-2 3 1/2 2 1 3 1/2 1 1/2 1/2 y Does not include midwater tows. 2/ MS - modified shrimp trawl (body and cod end longer); EC 3/4-size No. 35 east -coast whiting uawl. seining was conducted in August with the exception of one haul in September. Eight of the seining sta- tions were on the northwesterly side and two were on the southeasterly side of Saginaw Bay. GEOGRAPffiCAL DISTRIBUTION Forty -seven species of fish were recorded in the 1956 study. The geographic distribution of 30 spe- cies taken from Saginaw Bay in trawls and gill nets and 27 species caught by Inshore seining is list- ed by location in table 2. All species in the table had been previously recorded for the Bay, but the locality records for several were increased greatly. The following 17 species were caught only by seining in shallow inshore waters: Stoneroller Longnose dace Common shiner Sand shiner Spotfin shiner Fathead minnow Bluntnose minnow Black bullhead Brown bullhead Tadpole madtom Central mudminnow Banded kUlifish Blackside darter Iowa darter Rock bass Smallmouth bass Largemouth bass Six species, including five that were captured at other than seining stations, were taken at 50 percent or more of the seining localities: emerald shiner, spottail shiner, yellow perch, Johnny darter, large - mouth bass, and pumpkinseed. Other species oc - casionally taken by seining included alewife, white sucker, carp, and logperch. Nearly all alewife, carp, yellow perch, pumpkinseed, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and Uack ciappie caught by seining were young-of -the -year or yearling. The four moat widely distributed species - -alewife , smelt, white sucker, and yellow perch --were found at more than 90 percent of the gill net and trawling sta - tions, and no doubt inhabit most areas in the bay at some time during the year. Five species (carp, emer - aid shiner, logperch, spottail shiner, and trout -perch) were taken at more than 50 percent but less than 75 percent of the stations. Lake herring and walleye were caught at more than 30 percent but less than 50 percent of the stations. Six species - -channel catfish, Jdinny darter, mottled sculpin, pumpkinseed, sauger, and white bass --were caught at more than 10 percent but less than 30 percent of the stations. The following 12 species were collected at less than 10 percent of the stations: C. alpenae, black crappie, brown trout, bur- bot, gizzard shad, C. hoyi, longnose sucker, northern pike, rainbow trout, silver lamprey, stonecat, and yellow bullhead. All centrarchids, the silver lamprey, leratures of inshore areas reached 15°-17° C. (59°-63° F.), for the smelt was the most numerous species in this area in August (471 per tow). October trawling revealed the return of older smelt to the shallow portion of the outer bay (937 per tow) but did not take them in the deeper area. The O -group smelt were numerous from July to October in all areas of the bay except the deeper part of outer bay in August. Temperature change appears to be decidedly less influential in the distribution of young smelt than for the adults. Nylon gill nets set on the bottom at various lo- cations were helpful in determining distribution and species composition of the larger fish in the popu- lation and provided samples in certain areas where the bottom is not suitable for trawling. Many of the larger fish that elude trawls axe vulnerable to giU nets; thus the combination of both fishing methods in some areas offered a more representative sample than could be taken by either gear alone. Unfortunately, this combination of fishing methods on the same date and location was not possible in most areas (appendix table 1). The contribution of additional data from gill net catches was most valuable for adult alewives, chubs, lake bening, walleyes, and white suckers. Yellow Perch Yellow perch of age -group I and older were caught in all areas throughout the season. They were most abundant in August in the inner bay (962 per tow) and in the deep outer bay in October (1, 017 per tow). They were least plentiful in the shallow outer bay in October (17 per tow). Young-of -the -year yellow perch were taken only in the inner bay. They inhabited very shallow inshore areas during the summer (seining records) and were numerous in the trawl catches in the inner bay in Oc- tober (350 per tow). 4 .3 ^ Sf a w tfl E XI * - o •t 3 2? 3 n n o M w (l> (1) 4> O o U U U 1 3 E B E o E o o €4 o O Sli 3 =3 •^ E R H o o a « « ,W « n U U M .5 OZ^ •5 "■ c ^ -9 a U C/> (/> (O (JU Z I t"^ jtf £ o u £, <« O J) O ;3 !^ « 4 n > ft C OC d 3 3 ^ t| t! O o Z z 2 JJ E P D Q 111 o ^ ui ^ a a n ~3 4) ■£ J3 a, s § o g 2 5 2 E E " g § E a iS Oi Q. CO -3 CQ O 3 u 8 <1> F •o 3 c F. 3 u ft •a s « « E E o o o S u •s ■s w u 5 .3 o o 0. Q. t i 3 S U S s •s t« fi p 3 o H eg "3 S o ?? q a g 1 s y o b 2 a, « 3 Table 3. --Additional distribution records of fish inhabiting Saginaw Bay from the collection of the Division of Fishes, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan [A plus sign indicates that the species was collected in that area only; a double plus sign shows the species was collected in an area other than that recorded by the Cisco (table 2); a triple plus sign indicates that the species is represented in the museum and was also recorded by the Cisco for that area; absence of a symbol indicates no specimens recorded from that area] Scientific name Common name Area Inner Bay Outer Bay Acipenseridae Acipenser fulvescens Lake sturgeon + - Amiidae Amia calva Bowfin + - SaliDonidae Salmo gairdneri Coregonus clupeaformis Coregonus alpenae Coregonus hoyi Rainbow trout Lake whitefish Longjaw Cisco Bloater ++ + ++ ++ + Catostomidae Carpiodes cyprinus Catostomus catostomus QuiUback Longnose sucker + ++ - Erimyzon sucetta Lake chubsucker + - Hypentelium nigricans Ictiobus nlger Northern hog sucker Black buffalo + + - Moxostoma anisurum Silver redhorse + - Moxostoma macrolepidotum Northern redhorse + - Moxostoma valenciennesi Greater redhorse + - Cyprinidae Hybopsis plumbea Hybognathus hanklnsoni Notemigonus crysoleucas Notropis cornutus Lake chub Brassy minnow Golden shiner Common shiner + + + +++ + ++ Notropis atramineus Sand shiner ++ +++ Notropis heterolepis Notropis rubellus Nouopis spilopterus Notropis volucellus Rhinichthys cataractae Blacknose shiner Rosyface shiner Spot fin shiner Mimic shiner Longnose dace + ++ + ++ +++ +++ Ictaluridae Ictalurus natalis Yellow bullhead ++ - (Continued) Table 3. --Continued Area Inner Bay Outer Bay Percidae Percina copelandi Channel darter + + Percina shumardi River darter + - Centrarchldae Ambloplites rupestris Rock bass +++ ++ Micropterus dolomieui Smallmouth bass +++ ++ Micropierus salmoides Large mouth bass +++ ++ Lepomis gibbosus Pumpkinseed +++ ++ Lepomis macrochirus Blue gill + - Pomoxls annularis White crappie + - Sciaenidae Aplodinotus grunniens Freshwater drum + - Cottidae Cottus ricei Spoonhead sculpin - + Gasterosteidae Eucalla inconstans Brook stickleback + + Pungitius pungitius Ninespine stickleback + - is ^ U3 CM (N .H (M 0 0 c- 1 o 0 ^ c> CO 0 c« o *"* ^ 00 ^— ' a. o Q 1 < ■ 0 0 o d) IN c- CD a. C-" CO (N CO t^ c- 1 3 < -<* 10 0 rH 00 0 10 0 (N CO 1 CO t-H •—4 CN * O a ^ « "-•I J2 u 10 0 0 0 0 0 CO N in ■3 ■*■ r-l <71 CO ^ '-ll c 3 rt 0 0 0 0 i-H 0 l^l 00 c^ (N "" E 0 J2 b4 ^ M U U U T3 2 3 rt 0 0 0 ■0 •a •a ? ^ § ^ c E 0 0 L-t •0 s Oh ^1 00 4) - 0 ►!, 1 0 « E 3 > E U 2 < < EO >- Only 0. 1 percent (inner bay) to 1. 2 percent (deep outer bay) of all yellow perch taken by trawl- ing had attained the minimum legal length required in the commercial fishery (8 1/2 inches). El-Zarka (1959) reported a seasonal change in the percentage of legal -sized perch taken in trap nets near Bay Port in the inner bay in 1955: "On April 18 this percent- age [of legal fish] was 35. 6, but fishermen did not benefit from the relatively high value because fish- ing for perch is not allowed at that time (closed sea- son, April 15-May 10). The proportion of legal- sized perch subsequently fell to barely 2 percent on May 18 and June 7 and less than 2 percent on June 22. In the fall (October 9) the percentage increased again to 20. 0. " El-Zarka attributed this October increase to the presence of a large percentage of females, which grow faster than males. Other Species Chubs (Core genus spp. ) caught in Saginaw Bay were taken almost exclusively by gill nets in the deep outer bay. Due to the limited numbers cap- tured, details on the findings are not offered here. Lake herring were not concentrated until the spawning run in mid -November. A gill net lifted from the bottom north of Sand Point (Station 5) on November 19 caught 1, 790 lake herring weighing 958 pounds. At the same time and location, a sin- gle bull net set on the bottom contained 1, 632 weigh- ing 804 pounds. Some of the lake herring were ripe, but none were spent. The same type of gill nets (bull net not fished) lifted the following day off Fish Point (Station 1) caught only 30 lake herring. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Members of the biological staff of the Cisco- - LaRue Wells, Clifford L. Tetzloff, Alfred M. Beeton, William G. Gordon, and James H. Johnson - -were re- sponsible for the collection of materials and data. Reeve M. Bailey identified many fish, examined the list of names of fishes, and permitted the examination of Museum records of past collections from Saginaw Bay. Stanford H. Smith and Ralph Hlle advised In the preparation of the manuscript. Figure 1 was pre- pared by William Crlstanelll. LITERATURE CITED El-Zarka, SalahEl-DIn 1959. Fluctuations In the population of yellow perch, Perca flavescens (MItchlll), In Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Fishery Bulletin 151, vol. 58. p. 365-415. Moffett, James W. 1954. Fisheries knowledge increased through research vessel. The Fisherman, vol. 22, no. 3, p. 7, 13-14. No concentrations of walleyes were located. Fifty -eight walleyes were taken during the season from five outer -bay stations; 19 of them were tagged (Petersen tags) and released. Two tags have been recovered. One was from a fish released near Char - ity Island on August 7 and recovered a few miles away on September 15 by a commercial fisherman. The second tag was recovered March 31, 1957, near Port Clinton, Ohio, in western Lake Erie from a walleye released November 2, 1956, at Station 9. White suckers Inhabited shallow water (7 1/2 fathoms and less) during the period of this investi- gation with one exception on August 29, when 36 were taken at 13 fathoms (Station 11) in gill nets. 11 Appendix table 1. --Dates, locations, and deftths of experimental fishing in Saginaw Bay, 1956 [Table includes only the lifts pertinent to this report] Cisco station number Depth (fathoms) Trawl GUI nets No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 Set on bottom Set obliquely Bull net Seine 116 115 111 104 109 110 108 103 106 105 101 3-4 3-3.5 2-4.5 2.5,4-5 4,6.5 3-3.5 3.5 3.5-4 3-4 1/ 4 3,5,7.5 4 3.5 3. 5-4, 11 3.8-4 3.5-3.8 6-8 10-10.5 6.5-8 6.5-7,10,11 7.9-10 4-4.5 3 4.5-5 2.5,5,10.5 3.5-4 0-13 0-13 2/ 0-13 0-13 June 30 June 28 July 17 Oct. 14 I Aug. 11 July 19 July 21 July 19 Aug. 7 Oct Nov Aug Sept Oct Oct i Nov. 4 Nov. 19 July 20 Nov. 1 Nov. 19 July 18 Nov. 15 Aug. 7 Aug. 17 Oct. 10 July 19 Nov. June 9 June 26 July 16 Aug. 16 June 19 26 (Continued 12 Appendix table 1. --Continued 1/ Set on the bottom. 2/ Suspended at 1 fathom in water 13 feet deep. Assigned Cisco station number Depth (fathoms) Trawl GiUnets station number No. 1 No. 2 No. 3 Set on bottom Set obliquely Bull net Seine 15.5-16 20.24-25 0-13 0-13 0-13 ... Aug. 8 Aug. 8 ... Aug. 29 Oct. 10 Nov. 1 ... 12 S-a 0.0-4 Aug. 1 13 S-b 0-0.5 Aug. 1 14 S-c 0-0.5 ... Aug. 1 15 S-d 0-0.4 ... Aug. 1 16 S-e 0-0.2 0-0.2 ::: ... ... Aug. 1 Sept. 20 17 S-f 0-0.2 ... ... Aug. 1 18 s-g 0-0.4 ... Aug. 21 19 S-h 0-0.2 ... Aug. 21 20 S-i 0-0.4 ... ... Aug. 23 21 S-j 0-0.5 ... ... Aug. 23 MS ff 1132 13 Gpo *2«iee MBL WHOI Library Serial, mm 5 WHSE 01544