Determining home range and habitat use of Muskellunge in Goulais Bay, Lake Superior.

ELSMU

May 2022 - October 2027

This project, a joint project between Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (DFO-GLLFAS) and the Ontario Ministry Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry’s Upper Great Lakes Management Unit (OMNDNRF-UGLMU), is designed to shed light on the movement patterns within and between suitable Muskellunge habitat between the Goulais River and Goulais Bay, Lake Superior by using acoustic telemetry technology. This study will also collect spawning movement information in future years as the acoustic tags being used have a 10 year life span and they will be placed into adult Muskellunge (fish that are over 700mm in total length). Currently, little is known of adult Muskellunge habitats or home ranges in Lake Superior. Muskellunge have been collected incidentally by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) using gill netting in Goulais Bay over the past twelve years and a total of 26 have been captured. Information about habitat preferences and residency times at those habitats are very limited. The information collected from this study will be incorporated into the general knowledge base of Muskellunge biology and will be used to help describe and protect habitat and to manage Muskellunge populations within Lake Superior.

• Determine the home range of Muskellunge tagged in Goulais Bay and River.
• Determine the habitat use in the bays and tributaries in eastern Lake Superior

• Muskellunge populations have not been monitored within eastern Lake Superior due to the difficultly in surveying such a large area (approx. 700 km2) and the limited information about this small population. The existing hydro acoustic telemetry array in eastern Lake Superior provides the opportunity to track Walleye over an expansive area.
• This information will be incorporated into the general knowledge base of Muskellunge biology and populations within Lake Superior and may be used to inform future conservation and management decisions.

• Lisa O'connor (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) - lisa.oconnor@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
• William Gardner (Fisheries And Oceans Canada)

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Science (GLLFAS)
• Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry - Upper Great Lakes Management Unit

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada - Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Science (GLLFAS)