Habitat use by subyearling Chinook and coho salmon in Lake Ontario tributaries

The habitat use of subyearling Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) was examined in three tributaries of Lake Ontario. A total of 1781 habitat observations were made on Chinook salmon (698) and coho salmon (1083). During both spring and fall, subyearling coho salmon used pool habitat with abundant cover. During spring, principal component analysis revealed that water depth was the most important variable governing subyearling Chinook salmon habitat use. Substrate materials used by Chinook salmon in the spring and coho salmon in the fall were significantly smaller than were present on average within the study reaches. When the two species occurred sympatrically during spring they exhibited similar habitat selection. Although the habitat used by coho salmon in Lake Ontario tributaries was consistent with observations of habitat use in their native range, higher water velocities were less important to Chinook salmon than has previously been reported.     

Migratory salmonid redd habitat characteristics in the Salmon River,New York

Non-native migratory salmonids ascend tributaries to spawn in all the Great Lakes. In Lake Ontario, these species include Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch), steelhead (O. mykiss), and brown trout (Salmo trutta). Although successful natural reproduction has been documented for many of these species, little research has been conducted on their spawning habitat. We examined the spawning habitat of these four species in the Salmon River, New York. Differences in fish size among the species were significantly correlated with spawning site selection. In the Salmon River, the larger species spawned in deeper areas with larger size substrate and made the largest redds. Discriminant function analysis correctly classified redds by species 64–100% of the time. The size of substrate materials below Lighthouse Hill Dam is within the preferred ranges for spawning for these four species indicating that river armoring has not negatively impacted salmonid production. Intra-specific and inter-specific competition for spawning sites may influence redd site selection for smaller salmonids and could be an impediment for Atlantic salmon (S. salar) restoration.     

Juvenile coho salmon behavioural characteristics in Klamath river summer thermal refugia

During the summer in the main‐stem Klamath River, juvenile salmonids respond positively to cooler tributary temperatures by congregating in large schools at the mouths of these tributaries, referred to as thermal refugia. The purpose of this paper is to summarize results from coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) thermal refugia studies conducted since 2006 in the Klamath River. Results showed that juvenile coho salmon started using thermal refugia when the Klamath River main‐stem temperature approached approximately 19 °C. The majority of the juvenile coho salmon within the studied thermal refugia were found in the slower velocity habitat associated with cover. Juvenile coho salmon counts in the studied thermal refugia dramatically decreased at temperatures >22–23 °C, suggesting that this approximates their upper thermal tolerance level. Although some juvenile coho salmon were very mobile, others chose, until smoltification, to rear in the mouths and lower reaches of non‐natal tributaries where thermal refugia occurred, apparently because of suitable habitat conditions. Information gained from these investigations will improve our knowledge of the life history of coho salmon in the Klamath River drainage and how they use the main‐stem river. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Within-stream release-site fidelity of steelhead trout from Lake Erie hatchery stocks

Straying of salmonids in Lake Erie is not well understood despite the economic importance of these recreational fisheries, which are sustained by stocking approximately 2 million steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) yearlings annually. The occurrence of straying in hatchery-reared salmonid populations can be influenced by stocking strategies, such as within-stream stocking location. Conneaut Creek provides a unique opportunity to evaluate the extent of release-site fidelity of adult steelhead trout from Lake Erie, because it is equally stocked by Ohio and Pennsylvania at different distances from the stream mouth. Adult steelhead trout were collected from two Conneaut Creek sites, Conneaut Ohio (2 km from Lake Erie) and Albion Pennsylvania (61 km from Lake Erie), in spring and fall of 2009. Elemental signatures of yearling otoliths measured by laser-ablation-inductively-coupled-plasma-mass-spectrometry were used to identify hatchery stocks. The state-specific hatchery stocks were identified with high confidence using discriminant analysis (Sr and Ba concentrations in nine otolith regions; Ohio 100.0%, Michigan 86.1%, New York 92.4%, and Pennsylvania 93.2% using jackknifed mean correct assignment). Adult steelhead trout (N = 174) collected in spring and fall at Conneaut Ohio included both Ohio and Pennsylvania-stocked fish, but no Ohio-stocked steelhead trout were collected at the Pennsylvania site in either season. Of the classified adult steelhead trout, 13.8% were identified as strays from other states (New York and Michigan). These results confirm strong release-site fidelity between Ohio and Pennsylvania stocked steelhead trout and provides fishery managers with sound scientific data to refine their stocking practices.     

Introgression of hatchery rainbow trout in naturalized steelhead populations of western Lake Superior

Fisheries managers and anglers in Minnesota have long been concerned that reproduction in the wild by a hatchery strain of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), called kamloops, could reduce the fitness of naturalized steelhead (migratory rainbow trout) populations in Lake Superior. A previous study found no evidence of kamloops introgression, but a new evaluation is warranted in light of continued stocking and genetic advancements over the past 25 years. We used genotypes from 10 microsatellite DNA loci to assess kamloops ancestry in adult and age-0 rainbow trout samples from 40 streams in Minnesota, one stream in Wisconsin, and two adult broodstocks. We also evaluated genetic population structure for impacts of kamlooops introgression. Overall, the average estimated kamloops ancestry was 8% (range 2–44%) in age-0 juveniles and 4% (1–19%) in adults. The average percentages of kamloops descendants in age-0 and adults were 8% (0–54%) and 5% (0–40%), respectively. Kamloops descendants were found in many Minnesota streams and in Wisconsin’s Bois Brule River, but were most prevalent in streams near the source hatchery, near recent stocking locations, and in lower reaches of longitudinally sampled streams. Feral steelhead broodstock had 9% and 6% kamloops descendants in two years while captive broodstock had no kamloops descendants. Minnesota’s populations showed little spatial genetic structure but were distinct from the Bois Brule population and from kamloops, which indicated that kamloops introgression had not substantially altered structure. Kamloops introgression into Minnesota steelhead populations and impacts on other jurisdictions contributed to the decision to discontinue the kamloops stocking program.     

Examination of the influence of juvenile Atlantic salmon on the feeding mode of juvenile steelhead in Lake Ontario tributaries

We examined diets of 1204 allopatric and sympatric juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in three tributaries of Lake Ontario. The diet composition of both species consisted primarily of ephemeropterans, trichopterans, and chironomids, although juvenile steelhead consumed more terrestrial invertebrates, especially at the sympatric sites. Subyearlings of both species consumed small prey (i.e. chironomids) whereas large prey (i.e. perlids) made up a higher percentage of the diet of yearlings. The diet of juvenile steelhead at the allopatric sites was more closely associated with the composition of the benthos than with the drift, but was about equally associated with the benthos and drift at the sympatric sites. The diet of both subyearling and yearling Atlantic salmon was more closely associated with the benthos than the drift at the sympatric sites. The evidence suggests that juvenile steelhead may subtly alter their feeding behavior in sympatry with Atlantic salmon. This behavioral adaptation may reduce competitive interactions between these species.     

Is Trypanoplasma Salmositica Present in Lake Ontario Salmonids?

During the period June-October 1981, fish, including lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), brown trout (Salmo trutta), rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), were collected from four locations on Lake Ontario. In addition, juvenile coho salmon reared from Lake Ontario fish eggs and maintained in a hatchery were collected. Subsequently, air-dried blood smears were stained with Leishman-Giesma and examined under oil emersion for Trypanoplasma salmositica. In this study of 131 fish, no T. salmositica were found. From these findings it may be assumed that T. salmositica are either rare or not present in Lake Ontario salmonids.     

Population Biology of Steelhead Spawning Runs in Three Pennsylvania Tributaries to Lake Erie

Little is currently known about the population biology of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) that spawn in Pennsylvania's Lake Erie tributaries or the role of natural reproduction in supporting this fishery despite its popularity and importance. The goal of this study was to describe the population characteristics of steelhead spawning runs in Crooked Creek, Godfrey Run, and Trout Run, three Pennsylvania Lake Erie tributaries that are annually stocked with 80,000 to 200,000 yearling steelhead. From fall 1997 to spring 1999, returning adult steelhead were sampled during both fall and spring spawning runs using seines and backpack electrofishing gear. Sex was determined using external characteristics, total length was measured, and a scale sample was collected from each fish. Scales were analyzed to determine age, life history patterns, and relative contributions of wild and hatchery-reared fish to seasonal spawning runs. Male steelhead dominated sex ratios in both Godfrey Run and Trout Run during both seasons, while female steelhead were more prevalent in Crooked Creek. Stream-age 1 steelhead were predominant in both fall and spring runs in all three streams. During both seasons in all streams, the majority of males returned after spending only one summer in Lake Erie while most female steelhead returned at lake-age-2. The relative contribution of wild steelhead to Pennsylvania spawning runs was minimal in all three streams for both seasons. As a result, future success of Pennsylvania's steelhead fishery will likely require the continuation of annual tributary stocking of steelhead smolts.     

Organochlorine and Heavy Metal Residues in Standard Fillets of Coho and Chinook Salmon of the Great Lakes - 1980

Coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and chinook (O. tshawytscha) salmon were collected from seven Michigan tributaries to the Great Lakes and analyzed for chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and metals. Analyses of standard skin-on fillets of these salmon revealed the presence of PCBs, DDT, dieldrin, zinc (found in one chinook), and mercury, but no detectable residues of aldrin, chlordane, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, toxaphene, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, or lead. Chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminants were present at significantly lower levels than were found in salmon samples collected in 1971. No sample of either species exceeded FDA action levels for DDT, dieldrin, or mercury; however, 6 of 63 coho and 29 of 50 chinook salmon exceeded the FDA action level for PCBs. In general, chinook salmon had higher contaminant levels than did coho salmon collected at the same time and location. Salmon collected from the southernmost Lake Michigan tributary had highest contaminant levels (especially PCBs) while salmon from the Lake Erie tributaries had lowest contaminant levels. Samples analyzed as skinless fillets showed dramatically reduced levels of PCBs and DDT analogs compared to standard, skin-fillets from the same fish. A strong linear correlation was observed between residues of DDT and PCBs in samples analyzed     

Juvenile Salmonid Utilization of Floodplain Rearing Habitat After Gravel Augmentation in a Regulated River

Gravel augmentation is used in sediment‐starved streams to improve salmonid spawning habitat. As gravel is added to river channels, water surface elevations may rise in adjacent areas, activating floodplain habitat at lower flows, and floodplains inundate more frequently, potentially affecting the quantity and quality of juvenile salmonid rearing habitat. We analysed 5 years of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tschawytscha and steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss data from snorkel surveys before and after gravel augmentation in the Lower American River, a low‐gradient, highly regulated alluvial river in California's Central Valley. We measured the quality and quantity of rearing habitat (current velocity and areal extent of inundated riparian vegetation) following gravel placement and tested whether these factors affected juvenile abundance. Gravel augmentation increased floodplain extent by 3.7–19.8%, decreased average flow velocity from 1.6 to 0.3 m s^?1 and increased the amount of vegetative cover from 0.3% to 22.6%. Juvenile abundances increased significantly for both species following augmentation. However, the strength of the relationship between abundance and habitat variables was greater for smaller salmonids. These results suggest that, in addition to enhancing salmonid spawning habitat, gravel augmentation can improve rearing habitat where channel incision and/or regulated hydrographs disconnect floodplains from main river channels. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predation on Pacific Salmon Eggs by Salmonids in a Tributary of Lake Ontario

Diets of salmonids in a tributary of Lake Ontario were examined during the fall of 1977. Pacific salmon eggs accounted for at least 90% of the October diet of juvenile steelhead and coho salmon, and adult brook trout and brown trout. In November, salmon eggs comprised 38-95% of the diet. Egg consumption appeared to be responsible for large increases in the condition factor of all groups studied. Increased condition may enhance survival during the severe winters characteristic of the Tug Hill region.     

JUVENILE SALMON RESPONSE TO THE PLACEMENT OF ENGINEERED LOG JAMS (ELJS) IN THE ELWHA RIVER,WASHINGTON STATE,USA

Engineered log jams (ELJs) are increasingly being used in large rivers to create fish habitat and as an alternative to riprap for bank stabilization. However, there have been few studies that have systematically examined how juvenile salmonids utilized these structures relative to other available habitat. We examined Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch) and trout (O. mykiss and O. clarki) response to the placement of engineered log jams (ELJs) in the Elwha River, Washington State, USA. We used summer snorkel surveys and a paired control‐treatment design to determine how engineered log jams in a large river system affect the density of juvenile salmon. We hypothesized that densities of juvenile salmonids would be greater in habitats with ELJs than in habitats without ELJs in the Elwha River and that this ELJ effect would vary by species and size class. Juvenile salmonid density was higher in ELJ units for all control‐treatment pairs except for one pair in 2002 and one pair in 2003. Positive mean differences in juvenile salmon densities between ELJ and non‐ELJ units were observed in two of four years for all juvenile salmon, trout greater than 100 mm and juvenile Chinook salmon. Positive mean differences occurred in one of 4 years for juvenile coho salmon and trout less than 100 mm. The results suggest that ELJs are potentially useful for restoring juvenile salmon habitat in the Elwha River, Washington State, USA. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A landscape-based distribution model for fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) in the Great Lakes drainage of New York

Fallfish (Semotilus corporalis) is a large native minnow that can be both an important food source and a predator on juvenile stream fishes, including salmonids. We developed a fallfish abundance-habitat neural network model. The model explained a large fraction of observed fallfish abundance class variation (R² = 0.91) and predicted optimal habitat in relatively flat, low elevation, cool to warm streams associated with forested landscapes. The distribution of optimal habitat areas was limited to 9% of the stream network, but one concentration overlapped with the best salmonid production habitat in the Lake Ontario basin. These model results can help managers better understand fallfish distribution and habitat requirements, as well as help them better assess potential interspecific interactions with gamefish in the Lake Ontario–St. Lawrence drainage.     

The Impacts of Atlantic Salmon Stocking on Rainbow Trout in Barnum House Creek,Lake Ontario

We compared the impacts of stocking age-0 Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at high and low densities, and no stocking on abundance and growth of age-0 rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) in Barnum House Creek, Ontario during 1993 to 2005. A similar stream, Shelter Valley Creek, was chosen as an appropriate reference stream where age-0 Atlantic salmon were not stocked. The catches of age-0 rainbow trout in Barnum House and the reference stream were highly correlated (r = 0.96) during years when no stocking occurred; however, this relationship did not persist in years when Atlantic salmon were stocked. The catch of age-0 rainbow trout in Barnum House Creek was significantly lower under both high (P = 0.00026) and low (P = 0.011) density Atlantic salmon stocking treatments compared with the no stocking treatment. The catches of age-0 rainbow trout and age-0 Atlantic salmon were negatively correlated in Barnum House Creek (r = −0.63). The length of age-0 rainbow trout in Barnum House Creek was depressed significantly (P = 0.004), under the high intensity Atlantic salmon stocking treatment, but not under the low intensity treatment (P = 0.20). In contrast, the length of age-0 rainbow trout in Shelter Valley Creek was unchanged over the same period. Restoration stocking of Atlantic salmon in Lake Ontario tributaries may impact rainbow trout abundance and growth.     

GRAVEL AUGMENTATION INCREASES SPAWNING UTILIZATION BY ANADROMOUS SALMONIDS: A CASE STUDY FROM CALIFORNIA,USA

Anadromous salmonid diversity and abundance worldwide have been adversely impacted by anthropogenic forces, and millions of dollars are spent each year on stream habitat restoration and enhancement. However, there is a paucity of data comparing site use by salmonids before and after enhancement implementation, and few studies examine the specific environmental conditions that determine whether salmonids utilize an enhanced site. This study examines the use of gravel augmentation to improve spawning site utilization by Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on the Lower American River, California, USA. Spawning increased across all augmentation sites for both species, although there were species‐specific and year‐specific differences in the degree to which a site was utilized and in the spatial distribution of redds in relation to substrate size, habitat features and other redds. There were also differences in redd architecture across sites that were related to differences in gravel size. This study illustrates that gravel augmentation projects can enhance spawning habitat for salmonids where spawning beds have degraded but that species‐specific and site‐specific attributes and gravel size can influence the relative effectiveness of a project. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An experimental study of stranding of juvenile salmonids on gravel bars and in sidechannels during rapid flow decreases

Juvenile salmonids can become stranded over gravel bars or trapped in off-channel habitat during rapid flow decreases that often occur in regulated rivers. In a stream channel experiment that simulated stranding over a gravel bar, more juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshwytscha) were stranded when the water was 6°C compared with 12°C. The rate of flow decrease was not a significant factor in the incidence of stranding. In contrast, the number of chinook and coho (O. kisutch) salmon juveniles that became trapped in side channels built in the stream channel increased with increasing rate of dewatering, and for coho salmon, more fish were trapped at night compared with the day. Even at the slowest rate of flow decrease some fish remained in the side channels after the channels became disconnected from the main flow. My results suggest that mortality as a result of trapping in side channels or pot-holes will be decreased, but may not be eliminated, by flow ramping, although this result needs to be corroborated with field studies. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Status of a stocked Atlantic salmon population in Lake Huron

In 2011, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) expanded stocking of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Lake Huron to enhance fishing opportunities following Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) abundance declines. Currently, little is known about the population produced from this stocking. We fit an assessment model to harvest data from Michigan jurisdictional waters to estimate Atlantic salmon population dynamics and abundance. Because of potential biases in MDNR creel survey harvest estimates, a survey was e-mailed to online purchasers of a 2019 Michigan fishing license asking about where and when Atlantic salmon were harvested to correct creel harvest estimates. Anglers were also asked about catch-and-release angling and tested on their ability to identify Lake Huron salmonids. Creel harvest estimates overlapped spatially and temporally with 42% of survey reported Atlantic salmon harvest. After correcting creel harvest estimates, total abundance of Atlantic salmon in 2019 was estimated at approximately 392,000 fish with a peak abundance of approximately 406,000 fish. Anglers released 27% of caught fish and correctly identified Atlantic salmon 28% of the time. To assess the occurrence of food resource competition, differences in condition (i.e., expected weight at length) were evaluated. Condition was higher in later years than in earlier years despite abundance increases. Our results suggested that past stocking established a population of approximately 400,000 Atlantic salmon with evidence suggesting that fish were finding sufficient food resources. Future Atlantic salmon management efforts may be improved by quantifying post-stocking survival rates and other sources (e.g., charter, Canadian) of harvest.     

Landscape Scale Measures of Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Bioenergetic Growth Rate Potential in Lake Michigan and Comparison with Angler Catch Rates

The relative quality of a habitat can influence fish consumption, growth, mortality, and production. In order to quantify habitat quality, several authors have combined bioenergetic and foraging models to generate spatially explicit estimates of fish growth rate potential (GRP). However, the capacity of GRP to reflect the spatial distributions of fishes over large areas has not been fully evaluated. We generated landscape scale estimates of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) GRP throughout Lake Michigan for 1994-1996, and used these estimates to test the hypotheses that GRP is a good predictor of spatial patterns of steelhead catch rates. We used surface temperatures (measured with AVHRR satellite imagery) and acoustically measured steelhead prey densities (alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus) as inputs for the GRP model. Our analyses demonstrate that potential steelhead growth rates in Lake Michigan are highly variable in both space and time. Steelhead GRP tended to increase with latitude, and mean GRP was much higher during September 1995, compared to 1994 and 1996. In addition, our study suggests that landscape scale measures of GRP are not good predictors of steelhead catch rates throughout Lake Michigan, but may provide an index of interannual variation in system-wide habitat quality.     

Diet complexity of Lake Michigan salmonines: 2015–2016

In Lake Michigan, the unintended introduction of invasive species (e.g., zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha; quagga mussel, D. rostriformis bugensis; round goby, Neogobius melanostomus) and reduced nutrient loading has altered nutrient dynamics, system productivity, and community composition over the past two decades. These factors, together with sustained predation pressure, have contributed to declines of several forage fish species, including alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), which has dominated diets of the five primary salmonine species of Lake Michigan for the last 50 years. Salmonines that have inflexible, less complex diets may struggle if alewife declines continue. We analyzed stomach contents of salmonines collected throughout the main basin of Lake Michigan in 2015 and 2016 to investigate diet composition, diet diversity, and individual variation of alewife lengths consumed. Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) almost exclusively consumed alewife and had lower diet diversities compared to the other four species, which consumed relatively high frequencies of round goby (brown trout, Salmo trutta; lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush), aquatic invertebrates (coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch) and terrestrial invertebrates (rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss) along with alewife. Although clear spatio-temporal feeding patterns existed, much of the variation in diet composition and diet diversity was expressed at the individual level. Salmonine populations consumed the entire size range of alewife that were available, whereas individual stomachs tended to contain a narrow range of alewife sizes. Due to their reliance on alewife, it is likely that Chinook salmon will be more negatively impacted than other salmonine species if alewife abundance continues to decline in Lake Michigan.     

Seasonal Rearing Habitat in a Large Mediterranean‐Climate River: Management Implications at the Southern Extent of Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.)

Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus) use a variety of rearing environments prior to seaward migration, yet large river habitats and their use have not been well defined, particularly at the southernmost salmon range where major landscape‐level alterations have occurred. We explored juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) presence along the river continuum and in main‐channel and off‐channel habitats of a regulated California Mediterranean‐climate river. Over an 8‐year period, off‐channels of the lower Mokelumne River exhibited slower and warmer water than the main‐channel. Probability of salmonid presence varied by stream reach and habitat types. Steelhead and Chinook salmon both demonstrated transitional responses to the dry season, with juveniles leaving off‐channels by midsummer. This corresponded to flow recession, increasing water temperatures, salmonid growth and end of emigration period. Main‐channel steelhead observations continued until the following storm season, which brought cool flood flows to reconnect off‐channels and the next juvenile cohort of both species to the river. Within arid climates, low‐gradient off‐channels appear more transiently used than in cooler and more northern humid climate systems. Within a highly regulated Mediterranean‐climate river, off‐channel habitats become increasingly scarce, disconnected or temperature limiting in low‐gradient reaches both seasonally and due to anthropogenic modifications. These observations may provide guidance for future management within large salmon streams. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.