Lower Niagara River Lake Sturgeon and Lake Trout Movement Study

LNRLS

April 2014 - December 2030

Lake Sturgeon and Lake Trout are native species of importance for restoration in the Great Lakes. Both species have been shown to use the lower Niagara River in ways that are poorly understood. Lake Sturgeon typically use rivers for spawning, but when they use connecting channels within the Great Lakes it has been suggested that they remain for increased feeding opportunities and growth. Along with residency behaviors, Lake Sturgeon also irregularly return to rivers for spawning. This study will observe habitat use during spawning seasons to identify spawning habitats and habitat use after spawning to identify habitats of importance for feeding and growth. Finally this study will observe how often Lake Sturgeon return to the river between spawning episodes and periods of residency. Lake Trout have been shown to use the Niagara River for feeding and spawning as well. Little is known about the habitat preference for Lake Trout spawning in rivers. This unique behavior will be observed using the same array during the fall spawning season. This study will determine where Lake Trout aggregate during periods of hypothesized spawning.

• Dimitry Gorsky (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) - dimitry_gorsky@fws.gov
• Zy Biesinger (United States Fish And Wildlife Service)

• United States Fish and Wildlife Service
• State University of New York at Buffalo

• Gatch A.J., Gorsky D., Biesinger Z., Bruestle E., Lee K., Karboski C., Bartron M. L., Wagner T. (2021). Evidence of successful river spawning by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 47(2), 486-493.