Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)
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Species overview
Physical description
Lake Whitefish is a long freshwater fish with a light green-brown to dark brown back, silver sides, and a silver underside. It has a slight humpback behind its head.
In the fall, both females and males develop breeding tubercles on their side scales and the sides and tops of their heads. These tubercles are more pronounced on males and are thought to be used for:
- identification
- defense of nests and territories
- courtship
- providing contact between individuals during spawning
Distribution
Lake Whitefish lives in cool, deep freshwater lakes and large rivers across most of Canada, Alaska, and parts of the northwestern United States. Its northern range limit is near Cambridge Bay, Northwest Territories. It has also been introduced into waterways in Alberta, British Columbia, and Newfoundland. While it primarily occupies inland lakes and rivers, some have been known to enter brackish and saltwater, such as Hudson Bay and James Bay.
Life cycle
Lake Whitefish spawns in the fall between September and December, often triggered by water temperatures dropping below 8°C. Spawning usually occurs in shallow water (less than 9 metres) over hard or stone substrates. Eggs are deposited randomly and remain on the spawning grounds until they hatch in April or May.
Once they hatch, larvae form aggregations with larvae of other species, such as:
- Burbot
- Cisco
- Deepwater Sculpin
- Smelt
Lake Whitefish larvae live along steep shorelines. In early summer, young Lake Whitefish leave inshore shallow waters and move into deeper waters, coinciding with a diet change from zooplankton to an adult diet.
Lake Whitefish grow quickly, with males maturing earlier than females at about 3 or 4 years old. They grow faster in southern areas compared to the north. Lake Whitefish generally live up to approximately 19 years, although a 28-year-old fish was caught in Great Slave Lake.
In the southern part of its range, Lake Whitefish move into cooler, deeper waters as temperatures warm in summer. In some areas of Canada, Lake Whitefish are anadromous.
Fishery history
Lake Whitefish is economically, ecologically and culturally one of the most valuable and important fish species in Canada. It is fished commercially, recreationally, and in Indigenous food, social, and ceremonial (FSC) fisheries. It is caught using:
Lake Whitefish has been fished by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial. French settlers began fishing for Lake Whitefish in 1623 and by the 1800s, they were heavily fishing the species.
In the 1900s, Lake Whitefish was extensively fished in the Great Lakes. Hatcheries were operated in multiple provinces and states in North America to offset harvest levels. From the 1940s to 1960s, management of Lake Whitefish began with measures to regulate harvest.
Great Lakes
Lake Whitefish has a long history of being fished in the Great Lakes dating back as far as 3,000 to 1,000 B.C. Indigenous fishers made gill nets that targeted Lake Whitefish and other species in the early 1600s. Early settlers harvested Lake Whitefish in large numbers during the fall when it spawned inshore using gill nets and seines. In the late 1700s, commercial fisheries for the species began. From the 1880s to 1960, Lake Whitefish declined dramatically as gear became more specialized and effort increased. Populations of Lake Whitefish later increased and now support numerous fisheries, including commercial fisheries, on all five lakes, with a larger number on Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
Great Slave Lake
There are records of Lake Whitefish harvest from as early as 1929, but the official commercial fishery on Great Slave Lake began in 1945. It was managed from the outset. Harvest peaked in 1948 and 1949, then declined for 20 years until it plateaued in the early 1990s. Harvest has declined again since 1997, likely due to socioeconomic reasons or the decline of Lake Trout (combined quota) rather than a decline in Lake Whitefish stocks.
Lake Winnipeg
In 1875, Lake Whitefish was harvested in Lake Winnipeg and shipped to Winnipeg for local consumption. Commercial fishing in Lake Winnipeg began in 1883 using sailboats and later steam-powered vessels. There was an all-time harvest high in 1904, followed by a decline due to over-harvesting. Another period of high harvest occurred from 1940 to 1943, with subsequent declines also related to over-harvesting. In 1939, a catch limit was put in place but later withdrawn in 1957. The number of licences was restricted to protect the species and given based on seniority.
From 1972 onwards, Walleye, Sauger, and Lake Whitefish were managed using a quota-management system. Initially, all three species were managed using a combined quota. In 2008, the Lake Winnipeg Quota Review Task Force recommended a split quota for Walleye, Sauger, and Lake Whitefish.
Yukon
In the Yukon, Lake Whitefish was fished by Indigenous Peoples prior to 1885 in a subsistence-based fishery. After 1885, commercial fisheries began as Indigenous Peoples fished to trade with non-Indigenous people. Commercial fishing was formalized with licences in 1899. In 1902, harvest levels were very high in Lake Laberge. From 1908 to the 1970s, harvest declined until many lakes were removed from commercial fishing licences due to concerns of over-harvesting. Today, there are commercial fisheries with reduced quotas in:
- Atlin Lake
- Teslin Lake
- Bennet Lake
- Kluane Lake
- Yukon River
- Teslin River
- Six Mile River
Ecosystem context
In much of its range, Lake Whitefish is threatened by:
- habitat degradation
- unsustainable harvests
- Sea Lamprey predation
- invasive species
- climate change
Lake Whitefish eat benthic invertebrates, molluscs, and small fish. Invasive species, such as Zebra and Quagga Mussels, have decreased food availability for some Lake Whitefish populations. As a result, the growth and condition of Lake Whitefish have declined in some areas.
Lake Whitefish eggs incubate in cool waters. They have increased hatching success in cold winter temperatures, likely because eggs are protected by good ice cover and hatching is delayed so larvae are larger. Hatching success and recruitment of Lake Whitefish are also influenced by:
- invasive species (e.g., invasive mussels decrease zooplankton prey availability)
- climate change (e.g., later winter temperatures delay spawning and high spring winds disrupt larvae distribution)
Science advice and research
Science advice and research for Lake Whitefish
Sources
- Davidoff et al. 1973. Changes in the population of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in Lake Winnipeg from 1944 to 1969. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 30: 1667-1682.
- DFO 2015a. Assessment of lake whitefish status in Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada, 1972-2004. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Sci. Advis. Rep. 2015/042.
- DFO 2015b. Proceedings of the regional advisory process on the stock status of Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in Great Slave Lake; January 26-27, 2011. DFO Can. Sci. Advis. Sec. Proceed. Ser. 2015/037.
- Ebener et al. 2008. Management of commercial fisheries for lake whitefish in the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America. Intern. Gov. Fish. Eco. Chapter 4. P. 99-143.
- Evermann and Smith 1896. The whitefishes of North America. The report of the U.S. Commissioner of fish and fisheries for 1894. P. 283-324.
- Gobin et al. 2015. Trends in growth and recruitment of Lake Huron lake whitefish during a period of ecosystem change, 1985 to 2012. J. Great Lakes Res. 41: 405-414.
- Hart 1931. The spawning and early life history of the Whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill), in the Bay of Quinte, Ontario. Contrib. Can. Bio. Fish. No. 7: 167-214.
- Hewson 1960. A history of the Lake Winnipeg fishery for whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, with some reference to its economics. 1960. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 17(5): 625-639.
- Lake Winnipeg Quota Review Task Force. 2011. Technical assessment of the status, health and sustainable harvest levels of the Lake Winnipeg fisheries resource. Lake Winnipeg Quota Review Task Force. Prepared for Manitoba Minister of Water Stewardship.
- Miller 1946. Effectiveness of a whitefish hatchery. J. Wildl. Manage. 10(4): 316-322.
- Qadri 1968. Growth and reproduction of the Lake Whitefish, Coregonus clupeaformis, in Lac la Ronge, Saskatchewan. J. Fish. Res. Board Can. 25(10): 2091-2100.
- Ransom et al. 2021. Recolonization of lake whitefish river spawning ecotypes and estimates of riverine larval production in Green Bay, Michigan. J, Great Lakes Res. 47(1): 213-225.
- Scott and Crossman 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Fish. Res. Board of Can. Bulletin 184.
- Sinclair and Perry 2019. Review of the status of Yukon’s commercial lake trout and lake whitefish fishing industry. Government of Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. MR-19-02.
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