Updated 2023-12-08 13:33:59
Lake Ontario -> 2.0 Offshore Pelagic Zone Goal -> Chinook Salmon
Reporting Interval
2014 - 2019
Area
Meeting Target?
Meets
Indicator Trend
Downward trend
Confidence?
High
Maintaining Chinook Salmon average growth and condition at or above levels observed during 2007.
During the current reporting period (2014-2019), the average weight of an age-3 Chinook Salmon harvested in New York (Connerton et al. 2020) during the August lake fishery was 20.0 lbs (9.1 kg), which is 8% above the 2007 benchmark, but nearly 11% lighter than during the previous reporting period (2008-2013). Average weights of age-3 Chinook salmon also decreased in October at SRH and the Credit River by 14% and 12% respectively compared to the previous reporting period (Prindle and Bishop 2020, OMNRF 2020). Chinook salmon weights reached new record lows at the Credit River in 2018 (12.6 lbs, 5.7 kg,) and at SRH in 2019 (14.5 lbs, 6.6 kg). Age-2 Chinook salmon average weights during the reporting period showed similar declining trends compared to the 2008-2013 averages, dropping by 20% from 14.4 lbs to 11.6 lbs (6.5 to 5.3 kg) in the August fishery and by 12% at both October monitoring sites. Even though some yearly average weights fell below the 2007 benchmark, the six-year average remained at or above 2007 values. Chinook salmon condition fluctuated from above average in 2016 to below average in 2018 and 2019. Overall, six-year average condition indices were within 1-3% of the previous reporting period and 0-10% above the 2007 benchmark for all surveys.
Average weight (lbs) of age-2 Chinook Salmon caught by anglers in the New York waters of Lake Ontario in August, 1991-2019 (Connerton et al. 2020), at the hatchery on the Salmon River, New York in October, 1986-2019 (Prindle and Bishop 2020), and at the Credit River, ON in October 1992-2019 (OMNRF 2020).
Average weight (lbs) of age-3 Chinook Salmon caught by anglers in the New York waters of Lake Ontario in August, 1991-2019 (Connerton et al. 2020), at the hatchery on the Salmon River, New York in October, 1986-2019 (Prindle and Bishop 2020), and at the Credit River, ON in October 1992-2019 (OMNRF 2020).
Condition (weight of a 914-mm fish predicted from a length-weight regression) of Chinook Salmon (bottom panel) caught by anglers in the New York waters of Lake Ontario in August 1988-2019 and at the hatchery on the Salmon River, New York, in October 1986-2019.
Methodology
Chinook Salmon growth and condition are monitored annually by both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (OMNRF). In New York, angler harvested fish are measured in August during the NYS Fishing Boat Survey (Connerton et al. 2020). Salmon are also monitored by both agencies during the fall spawning run at the Credit River, Ontario (OMNRF 2020) and at the Salmon River Hatchery, NY (Prindle and Bishop). Growth is indexed by the average weights of age-2 and age-3 Chinook salmon measured in each survey. Condition, an indicator of plumpness for a given length fish, is indexed by the predicted weight of a 914-mm (36-inch) Chinook Salmon measured in each survey.
Other Resources
Connerton, M.J.., N.V. Farese and R. J. Moore. 2020. Lake Ontario Fishing Boat Survey 1985-2019. Section 2 In NYSDEC 2019 Annual Report, Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lake Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee.
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. 2020. Lake Ontario Fish Communities and Fisheries: 2019 Annual Report of the Lake Ontario Management Unit. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Picton, Ontario, Canada.
Prindle, S.P. and D.L. Bishop 2020. Population Characteristics of Pacific Salmonines Collected at the Salmon River Hatchery 2019. Section 9 In NYSDEC 2019 Annual Report, Bureau of Fisheries, Lake Ontario Unit and St. Lawrence River Unit to the Great Lake Fishery Commission’s Lake Ontario Committee
Contributing Author(s)
- Michael Connerton - NYDEC
- Scott Prindle - OMNRF
- Daniel Bishop - NYDEC