Distribution and movement of Bay of Quinte Walleye in relation to temperature, prey availability and Dreissenid colonization
Keywords:
walleye, migration, seasonal location, Lake OntarioAbstract
The spatial and seasonal distribution of walleye were surveyed with gillnets in the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario during 1992–2008. Walleye movements were determined with tagging in the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario surrounding Prince Edward County during fall 1998–2003, and with recaptures from angling and other fisheries in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River during 1998–2003. Immature walleye (age <4 yr) were abundant in the upper Bay of Quinte from April to November, moved small distances down the bay during summer, and were less frequently observed in Lake Ontario. Mature walleye (age >4 yr) were found in the upper Bay of Quinte during spring, and farther down the bay during summer. Older mature walleye (age-7+) were observed in eastern Lake Ontario during summer. The tagging data were consistent in showing that older fish moved down the Bay of Quinte toward Lake Ontario during summer. During fall mature walleye moved back up the Bay of Quinte either from Lake Ontario or the lower bay. Immature and mature walleye moved farther up the Bay of Quinte during fall to spring, again with older walleye tending to move longer distances. Walleye migration between the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario during spring and fall was consistent with avoiding warm temperature in the upper bay, and foraging on alewife in the lower bay and Lake Ontario during summer and young-of the-year fishes such as gizzard shad during fall. The distribution of walleye between the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario did not change after dreissenid colonization.
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