Assessment of the United States Lake Whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis ) Fisheries of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron

The logistic surplus production model is applied to lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) yield and effort data from Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron. The fitted models indicate that the whitefish populations in most areas of the lakes have been overexploited, and that in these areas yield was below the maximum sustainable yield before sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) predation took its toll. In some areas of Lake Superior the whitefish populations are not overexploited. The sea lamprey is the apparent cause of the drastic decrease in the whitefish population that occurred in northern Lake Michigan during the 1950’s.