Submitted Photo Lake Erie has positive evidence of natural reproduction of lake trout after 60 years.

It took 60 years to accomplish, but Lake Erie has positive evidence that there is natural reproduction of lake trout.

Rick Miller in Irving commented he recently read an article that Lake Erie now has natural lake trout reproduction. A quick phone call to the Department of Environmental Conservation Fisheries Station confirmed the story. Jim Markham the cold-water species biologist at the unit informed us that through genetic bar coding the DEC was able to confirm the report of natural reproduction of Lake Erie lakers.

Lake trout were once a native species in Lake Erie, but had all but disappeared due to a number of factors including pollution. The DEC initiated a stocking program enlisting eggs and milt from healthy brood stock and raised small trout to be released in the lake. The DEC utilizes a number of identification processes including placement of minute tags in the snout of fish and fin clips.

Years ago a group of sportsmen got together and formed an organization called LESTA which stood for the Lake Erie Salmon and Trout Association which worked hand and hand with the DEC to learn more about introducing salmonids and trout into our lakes ecosystem.

Markham commented this took place before he arrived at the Dunkirk unit in 2000, but remembers the work that was accomplished through teamwork and dedication. Lake Erie now boasts a trophy lake trout fishery with a current population of lakers that are easily in the 10- to 15-pound range and numerous “hawgs” in the mid-20-pound range. Anglers have a good chance of hooking up with a big lake trout by presenting a spoon, stickbait or worm harness close to the bottom in water in the 70-to-100-foot-plus range. Lakers like cooler water and can be caught shallower during various times of the year. Their fight is a bulldog style, refusing to come to the surface and giving up line begrudgingly. To practice catching a trophy laker try tying your fish line to the back end of a kids tricycle and have them take off.

Markham also commented that anglers have been encountering a lot of steelhead trout while targeting walleye lately, so hopefully stream anglers will see improved action this fall and winter season too.

¯ Innovative Outdoors will present its sixth annual walleye tournament this weekend out of the Dunkirk Harbor. The event starts with Big Fish Friday. Anglers can launch anywhere on Lake Erie. Now that the Canadian restrictions have been lifted, all waters of Lake Erie including the Niagara River are open to this event starting at 6 a.m. Coolers have to be dropped off at Chadwick Bay Marina by 3:45 p.m. sharp. Only one walleye per cooler allowed today. Weigh-in will start at 4 p.m. The top three heaviest walleye will be awarded. The captains meeting will be held for the Saturday main event following today’s weigh-in.

Fifty-four teams signed up and paid the $500 entry fee for this year’s event and an additional $100 for Big Fish Friday competition. Optional Calcuttas are also available. Teams can have two, up to a maximum of five anglers aboard. Anglers are also allowed to use live wells for this event. On Saturday during the Main Event anglers are allowed to bring a maximum of six walleye to the scale. Minimum length is 20 inches. More than six walleye in the cooler will be cause for elimination. Walleye smaller than 20 inches will result in the loss of that fish plus a half-pound weight deduction from the total.

Awards go to the top three heaviest walleye on Saturday. The top 10 heaviest total weights will receive prizes. The Saturday Main Event will start outside the light house outer break wall at 7 a.m. Spectators can get a nice view at Point Drive near the DEC fisheries station, if interested. Contestants must return with their coolers in line at Chadwick Bay Marina by 3:30 p.m. Weigh-in will be at 5 p.m.

After the winners are determined they will announce the winners of the LEWs event. There were 32 teams that signed up for this segment. To win participants had to compete in three Lake Erie events including the Barcelona event presented by Primitive Outdoors, The Sunset Bay Shootout and the Innovative Outdoors tournament. Anglers are awarded points for fishing all three. They receive points for their total pounds of fish weighed (for all three events) and additional points if they placed in any tournament. It’s a bragging rights thing this year and will probably turn into more in the near future.

The weather reports looks favorable this weekend and speculation is that the winning box of six walleye will probably be around 38 pounds-plus.

Locally, it has been a tough week of walleye fishing with lots of rainfall and winds out of the northeast. On the plus side there have been some reports of limit catches of yellow perch out of Cattaraugus Creek. Markham reported that one of the fisheries staff had a great day earlier in the week fishing in 55 feet of water straight out of the Catt. Several other reports indicate that 60 feet and a little west also produced good numbers of fish. Local tackle shops report having a good supply of golden shiners for bait. Take advantage of the last days of August and enjoy the bounty that Lake Erie can provide. Look for coverage of the Innovative Outdoors tournament on Saturday and Monday in the OBSERVER.