Lake Ontario -> 1.0 Nearshore Zone Goal
Lake Ontario 1.0 Nearshore Zone Goal
Protect, restore and sustain the diversity of the nearshore fish community, with an emphasis on self-sustaining native fishes such as Walleye, Yellow Perch, Lake Sturgeon, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, sunfish, Northern Pike, Muskellunge, Round Whitefish and American Eel.
Maintain healthy, diverse fisheries
Maintain, enhance and restore self- sustaining local populations of Walleye, Yellow Perch, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, sunfish, Muskellunge, and Northern Pike to provide high quality, diverse, fisheries.
Nearshore fisheries are found around the lake and they are largely defined by the local habitat. While open coastal areas offer angling opportunities, the protected embayments and relatively shallow eastern basin are the most productive and popular nearshore fisheries. To assess this important fishery we monitor Bass, Walleye and Yellow Perch. During this reporting period the nearshore objective to maintaining or increasing fisheries, populations and recruitment was met for walleye with mixed results for bass and yellow perch.
Restore Lake Sturgeon populations
Increase abundance of naturally produced Lake Sturgeon to levels that would support sustainable fisheries.
The status of Lake Sturgeon is encouraging. There is a spawning population in the lower Niagara River, evidence of small numbers of fish successfully spawning in the upper St. Lawrence River and the survival of stocked fish in the lower Genesee River suggests that a spawning population could re-establish there. However, only one population met the target of 750 sexually mature individuals and the objective was not met during the reporting period.
Restore American Eel abundance
Increase abundance (recruitment and escapement) of naturally produced American Eel to levels that would support sustainable fisheries.
American eel were once very abundant in Lake Ontario. American eel is listed as Threatened under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. American eel spawn in the Sargasso Sea (near the Bermuda Triangle) and young eel migrate up the St. Lawrence River to Lake Ontario to grow into adults before returning to the ocean to spawn and die. The annual target of 1 million eels migrating upstream through the fish ladders located at the hydro dams in the St. Lawrence River was not met during this reporting period with average of 18,066 annually . There are many factors that contribute to low eel returns and it will likely take many years to show significant improvement in eel abundance.
Maintain and restore native fish communities
Maintain and restore native nearshore fish communities, including species that rely on nearshore habitat for part of their life cycle.