Comparison of Recreational and Commercial Fisheries for Lake Whitefish in Michigan Waters of Lake Superior, 1997-2004

–Yield, effort, and biological data were examined to determine whether conflicts existed between recreational and commercial fisheries for lake whitefish in Michigan waters of Lake Superior. Recreational and commercial fisheries were found to be largely segregated from one another because of differences in the times of year when peak fishing activity occurred, differences in fishing depths, and differences in sizes of fish harvested. Commercial gill-net and trap-net fisheries did not adversely affect each other at detected levels of exploitation. Based on two methods of estimation, lake whitefish stocks across Lake Superior generally did not experience excessive mortality rates during 1997-2004. Where catch quotas were generated, yields were below recommended harvest levels. The data examined indicated little or no conflict between co-existing recreational and commercial fisheries for lake whitefish.