Lake Trout

An angler holds a lake trout. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Lake trout were extirpated from Lake Champlain in the late 1800’s. This mass extinction could be due to overfishing, predation pressures or changes in the ecology of the lake. An extensive reintroduction program was initiated in the 1970’s by the New York and Vermont state fish and wildlife agencies. The introduced fish successfully grow in the lake and are caught every year by anglers.

Lake trout spawn on rocky features such as natural reef extending off points. They need current to keep silt off the eggs as they develop. Much of the original spawning habitat in the lake has been degraded or obliterated by human activities on the land and water. Luckily for the lake trout, many human-made structures, such as the Burlington breakwater and the Blodgett Beach docks are made from large rocks and occur in areas with current. In fact, lake trout use these structures to successfully spawn every year.

Unfortunately, despite successful spawning, the eggs and young rarely survive their first year. This could be due to high populations of predators at this particular life stage or contaminants in the water. Because so few naturally spawned eggs grow to adulthood, the introduction program has not yet become sustainable. Instead, new trout are introduced to the lake every year. 

Lake trout spawning habitat. Photo credit: Dr. J. Ellen Marsden.