Lake Champlain United - Forums

digitroll (ron) wrote: ↑Thu Apr 17, 2025 3:45 am It appears from my view the Lake trout are starving Sleeps. Explosion of native and stocked lake trout fish. Even our salmon especially down south some are thin as well. Inland sea has 10% of the bait we would see 20 years ago on the sonar. They started the bait fish trawls again last year to see what has changed on the main lake. There has to be a million of lake trout swimming around in our lake now. I fish the Sea to get away from them at times. We almost never catch lakers when fishing for salmon in Lake Ontario. They have become (Lake Champlain) over populated quickly in the last decade on our main lake. They live decades vs 4-5 years for salmon / brown / rainbow trout. The lake trout population continues to and has compounded each year as the population gets larger with their long lives from stocking and natural reproduction. We have to go thru so many lakers to get a salmon in June thru December on the main lake. The 1-4 lb. size (Lakers) in the Fall that aren't mature yet to spawn are getting smaller each year as well. They are close to 60F in water temp in the water column where the salmon are and dominate that temp. of water and compete with the salmon.

No big lake trout a few long ones that won't weigh more than 9 lbs. Snakes! This is the last year they are stocking lake trout. When we first caught 19" salmon in 1981 at the Cowbanks they were a high 3 lb fish!

The salmon diet study every month beginning this month till December will be a piece of the puzzle. I am hoping more people get involved to help Graham each month and once we hit his quota of 15 for the Sea and 15 for the main lake (to diverse areas). After they can assess the diet of the USFW fish in Bethel and the State hatchery fish. Insects have been found in a few fish already. He is actively posting his results on the forum so we can get to his quota each month.

digitroll (ron) wrote: ↑Thu Apr 17, 2025 3:45 am It appears from my view the Lake trout are starving Sleeps. Explosion of native and stocked lake trout fish. Even our salmon especially down south some are thin as well. Inland sea has 10% of the bait we would see 20 years ago on the sonar. They started the bait fish trawls again last year to see what has changed on the main lake. There has to be a million of lake trout swimming around in our lake now. I fish the Sea to get away from them at times. We almost never catch lakers when fishing for salmon in Lake Ontario. They have become (Lake Champlain) over populated quickly in the last decade on our main lake. They live decades vs 4-5 years for salmon / brown / rainbow trout. The lake trout population continues to and has compounded each year as the population gets larger with their long lives from stocking and natural reproduction. We have to go thru so many lakers to get a salmon in June thru December on the main lake. The 1-4 lb. size (Lakers) in the Fall that aren't mature yet to spawn are getting smaller each year as well. They are close to 60F in water temp in the water column where the salmon are and dominate that temp. of water and compete with the salmon.

No big lake trout a few long ones that won't weigh more than 9 lbs. Snakes! This is the last year they are stocking lake trout. When we first caught 19" salmon in 1981 at the Cowbanks they were a high 3 lb fish!

The salmon diet study every month beginning this month till December will be a piece of the puzzle. I am hoping more people get involved to help Graham each month and once we hit his quota of 15 for the Sea and 15 for the main lake (to diverse areas). After they can assess the diet of the USFW fish in Bethel and the State hatchery fish. Insects have been found in a few fish already. He is actively posting his results on the forum so we can get to his quota each month.