Lamprey numbers - feedback requested

[USFWS Lamprey Guy]

Folks, I wanted to share some information with you and also request your input. I worked in Plattsburgh as a weigh station captain for the LCI in June and heard mostly good news from anglers about the lamprey being lower than in the past and overall positive thoughts about the direction of lamprey control. I’ve heard overall positive comments about lamprey numbers remaining low in the Inland Sea and the upper Main Lake. However, I am hearing reports here and there of people saying that the lamprey situation is not looking so good from about the Charlotte-Essex Ferry, southward.

We trapped a 25-year, all-time low number of spawning adults this spring (there aren’t as many coming back to spawn). Summer larval assessments in rivers in just the past weeks have found 25-year, all time-time lows in several of our former biggest producing rivers. Wounding rates on Atlantic salmon and lake trout remain at all-time lows. It concerns me to hear reports that people are seeing “lots of lamprey” in certain places. At the risk of receiving more than I want to hear, I’d like to ask folks for their honest and measured thoughts on the status of sea lamprey in Lake Champlain, by answering these 2 simple questions. 1) Is your experience with lamprey numbers consistent with the data on the graph? 2) In which region of the lake have you experienced the condition you are reporting?

You can email me directly at Bradley_Young@FWS.GOV if you would like to share more details. If we can learn more about trends and especially anomalies, we can look into phenomena that might explain what is happening and why. From that angle, your thoughtful responses are welcomed as we continue to look at new and better ways to be more effective in controlling sea lamprey.

[Captain Paul]

Brad I would say the graph is pretty close what I have been seeing is some days we see a lot of Lamprey but then go for many days only seeing 1 or 2 a day today was one of those days we saw a lot of them 50% of the Lakers had a lamprey on them and one had 2 on it we caught over 30 fish this am. But with that said Brad the fish are the Healthiest I have ever seen on Champlain we are catching heavy fish for there length and lots of them with no sign of recent wounds and quite a few with no sign of ever being wounded. Hats off to you and you're crew keep up the good work . One thing I have noticed is the Lampreys seem to be growing fast this year. Now if we can just get some Cormorant control

[Reelax]

I would say the lamprey are still the worst around mouth of shelburne bay. Converse has been better in last 2 years in my opinion. Still get lamprey everywhere, but I only target salmon so don't see as many as some. I do know the 11.2lb salmon Dave boated only had one very OLD lamprey Mark. That's why she was so nice!

Lamprey in the sea are smaller than the ones on broad lake as far as I can tell right now.

Nice work on control, but still have a long way to go...

Thanks!

[C-Hawk]

I've been fishing mostly around Stave and Providence this summer and have been pleasantly surprised with the vitality of a lake trout that has never been wounded, some in the 5-7 lb range, and the older 8-10 lb ers, that have only old scars. I would estimate that my catch corresponds with your graph. However about 2 weeks ago, at the northern end of Providence I caught back to back 18 inch Lakers that had lamprey nearly as long as the fish, one of them having two. Can't remember even having them as big on a bigger fish. A couple salmon have had fresh wounds as well.

Please keep up the good work and in these budget cutting times let us all know when you need our vocal support.

[Doublebag]

1) Is your experience with lamprey numbers consistent with the data on the graph?

No. I only have two dedicated seasons of Champlain trolling under my belt and I have not specifically kept track of the number lamprey hits. However, I would estimate that at least 50% of the lake trout and salmon that I have caught in 2016 and 2017 had lamprey wounds and that most of those fish had more than one wound. My general sense is that it is a less common for me to catch a "clean" fish than one with a lamprey wound.

Take this for what it is is worth, though - a (very) small sample size and a self-reported perception of what I have observed, not data. Also, lampreys and wounds have a "yuck factor" that make them more memorable, so those fish may weigh more heavily in my recollection and perception.

2) In which region of the lake have you experienced the condition you are reporting?

Converse Bay and the area around Cedar Island.

[USFWS Lamprey Guy]

Thanks Captain Paul, Reelax, C-Hawk, and Doublbag. I have received several replies off-site too. I'll wait and give others more time to comment then try to summarize what I'm hearing. Thanks for your input.

~Brad

[fishy1]

hi brad.
i catch lots of lakers north of westport between split rock and willsboro from shore spin casting and from my experience with them in the fall and this spring was these lakers were very healthy and free of lampreys holes and even old scars. have only caught 2 lakers the last 2 years there with a lamprey attached and they were soon taken care of. in the fall there in spawning and the lakers are bigger close to shore are very healthy. as i look back i am thinking all lakers i caught would be about 80 % per cent lamprey free.
got out trolling this summer with freinds and my son and landed a bunch of lakers most 7 to 11 lbs and only a handful had lampreys attached or holes in them some of the bigger ones had old scars on them but not many.

[FishnChef]

Fished yesterday off of Port Douglas. Landed 6 Lakers up to around 10 ish pounds, one brown, one rainbow, one salmon and none of them had any Lamprey or fresh wounds. Didn't see any scars from old ones either but I didn't inspect the Lakers to thoroughly in the interest of getting them back quickly. Lots of cormorants though. From past experience this wounding rate of 0% is not even remotely typical of this area but it's still very encouraging. I don't fish a lot but I would say typically I see about 50% on the Lakers

[Adkhare]

We fish mostly Westport area and have seen very few fresh marks compared to old ones, lakers have more than salmon by far, we haven't boated a lamprey in boat yet this year and last year I recall 2. Based on the amount of time we get out I consider it pretty good only missed 3 weekends since ice out.

[TUnamas]

I suspect that because the salmon fishing has been slower this year than in recent years past, there has been a greater recreational focus on lake trout this season. I suspect that because the lake trout/lamprey incidence is higher, and anglers are targeting and catching more lakers, there is a perception that the lamprey are returning because people are seeing more lamprey signs. My home waters are south of the Ferry line (Home port is Pt. Bay Marina) and I'm amazed at how much better the lamprey situation has become in the past few years. I think your chart is pretty accurate.

[Captain Paul]

Pretty sad to see this little bit of feed back for such an important subject

[BottomDollar]

In about 20 short trips for me this season I've yet to boat or release a fish with a lamprey attached. Most of these fish are lake trout. I also haven't seen many--if any--fresh scars.

This is primarily in the broad lake area north and south of Burlington on the VT side.

[Wallyandre (Andre)]

On a lucky day with 4 salmons, 2 had lamprey about 6in. Long

[digitroll (ron)]

I have seen an uptick of lampreys stuck on salmon and the occasional lake trout we catch by accident. In some cases recently 2 and 3 lampreys on fish. I had a lamprey up in the Sea stuck on a 12" stockie. Should have taken a photo. First time seeing that in 35 years.

This includes areas of the Inland Sea / Providence / Stave / Split Rock / Valcour.

[keithm87]

My experience this year has been skewed by catching a lot more lakers as was suggested before. But from what we are seeing having boated well over 100 fish, we are seeing around 25% with live lamprey attached and another 10-15% with fresh marks. This last Sunday we landed 20 fish and killed a total of 8 lamprey most in the 10-12 inch range but one was close to 18inch.