July 25 2021 - Sun Fish or Sculpins

 

The deepest water in Lake Superior is 1,332 feet.  Fish are found at the 600 foot level in  Lake Superior. The Siscowet Lake Trout lives in the deepwater region of the lake.  Two more live in the deeper waters. They are the Sculpin and the Kiyi.  The Sculpin is a type of  Lake Trout as well.  The Kiyi is a Lake Whitefish. Other lake trouts live at depths up to 300 feet. In contrast, Sunfish, are common to the Great Lakes in slow streams and rivers, as well as warm lakes and ponds.  Children are the fishers of Sunfish. There are a lot of varieties and in our area, they are Northern Sunfish.  I don't remember seeing Sunfish in Lake Ontario - I expect it is because they like to be near aquatic vegetation, and Lake Ontario shores are sandy.  In Georgian Bay lakes they were a common fish in the 1960s.  I expect they are still there. Perhaps Dan Cooper could check at his cottage and give us the latest Sun Fish update. Kids love fish, so we can expect a lot of cute fish jokes - the list I found had 85 jokes.  Here are a few: What did a shark eat with its peanut butter sandwich? A jellyfish. How do shellfish get to the hospital? In a clambulance. What did the shark say after eating a clownfish? That tasted a little bit funny! What do whales have for dinner? They eat fish and ships. What does every fisherman want? A gillfriend. How did the oyster manage to hide from the fish? Clamouflage! What did one fish say to the other? Keep your mouth shut and you won’t get caught. How do you talk to a fish? You drop it a line. Two parrots are sitting on a perch. One bird asks the other one “Does something smell a little fishy to you?”   My fish pictures seem to focus on Koi.  These are readily seen at botanic gardens.

Finding Fish in Niagara

My sister took me to Charles Daley Park which is on Lake Ontario in St. Catharines.  We watched large fish swim up and down the channel that goes to the big lagoon.  She was told they have to wait in the channel until their body temperature adapts to the changes between the cold lake and the warm lagoon.  This is the migratory period for fish coming to their spawning grounds, where they will spawn in the spring.

So there's lots of fishing in Niagara, I find out.  Most of us think of going to the Georgian Bay area to fish, and not Lake Ontario.  Part of the dilemma with Lake Ontario is the pollution levels of the past reducing the number of fish and eliminating them from the table.  However, there are some interesting species listed in the Niagara area, including Steelhead, Brown Trout, Lake Trout, Carp, Salmon (of various types - Lake and Chinook), Smallmouth Bass and Sturgeon.   There are fishing adventure companies in the Niagara Falls area, with lots of pictures of big fish.  And there is a Sturgeon repopulation project at the Niagara River.  

The Niagara River seems to have a large and diverse group - this information comes from the Greenbelt Website about fishing at the Queenston Docks.  The salmon and trout come in the fall to spawn in the spring.  So they would be resident in the big lagoon at Charles Daley Park over the winter.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO CATCH ON THE NIAGARA RIVER:

Migratory Species:

 Rainbow trout, brown trout, Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, lake trout 

Resident Species:

 pan fish, yellow perch, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, channel catfish, northern pike, carp, muskellunge, walleye

 

Ice Fishing:

Ice Fishing is a great way to have an adventure and enjoy the out doors in the middle of winter! Look for 

yellow perch, walleye, trout, and if you're lucky - something bigger!

Here's where they are swimming to:

 Here's where they are coming from:

This is the channel:

This is the 2-3 foot fish - maybe a salmon…

Trout Lily in Spring

Hi everyone,

This is one of the early spring bloomers - Trout Lily.  It is Erythronium americanum.  It's also known as Dogtooth Violet and Yellow Adder's Tongue.  It is in the Liliaceae family.  I didn't realize that it is an edible plant.  At the same time, it seems to be an emetic (makes you throw up), so it is not recommended that one eat a lot of it.  I guess I wouldn't add this one to the menu with guests coming.