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Salvelinus namaycush

(Walbaum, 1792)

Lake Trout

G5Secure Found in 26 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103158
Element CodeAFCHA05050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderSalmoniformes
FamilySalmonidae
GenusSalvelinus
Synonyms
Cristivomer namaycush(Walbaum, 1792)
Other Common Names
Touladi (FR)
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Three phenotypes, lean, siscowet, humper (or paperbelly) occur in Lake Superior; there is evidence that the morphological differences among these phenotypes are under some genetic control, and there is evidence of limited gene flow among the phenotypes; the siscowet and humper phenotypes apparently originated in Lake Superior in postglacial time (Burnham-Curtis and Smith 1994). Nearshore lean lake trout have low fat content and are valued by anglers and commerical fishers. Offshore siscowet lake trout have low commercial value because of their high fat content. Humpers live primarily on offshore shoals.

A hybrid between lake trout and brook trout is called a slake.

Placed in genus Cristivomer by some authors in the 1960s.
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2015-08-17
Change Date1996-09-12
Edition Date2003-04-15
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent Comments
Native throughout most of Canada and much of Alaska, south to Great Lakes region, northern New England, northern border of western U.S. Introduced in many areas of northern and western U.S. and elsewhere in the world. Common in north, uncommon in Great Lakes except where maintained by artificial propagation (Page and Burr 1991).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of subpopulations and locations.
Threat Impact Comments
Extirpated or greatly reduced in abundance in the Great Lakes due to the combined effects of overfishing and parasitism by sea lampreys. Populations of exotic Pacific salmon in Lake Superior do not appear to be having a substantial negative impact of lake trout populations or forage species for lake trout (see Harvey et al. 2003).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Deep lakes in south, shallow and deep lakes and rivers in north. Usually in deep water, especially in summer when surface waters warm. Prefers temperatures below 13 C. Rarely in lakes with pH less than 5.2.

Spawns over boulder or rubble bottom in shallower part of lake (less than 12 m in inland lakes, less than 37 m in Great Lakes). Eggs fall into crevices between rocks. Sometimes spawns in rivers.

In Lake Superior, lean lake trout inhabit areas from shore to approximately the 80-m bathymetric contour; Siscowet lake trout generally are in water more than 80 m deep; humpers live primarily on offshore shoals (Harvey et al. 2003).

Ecology

Slow growing, long lived. Especially vulnerable to sea lamprey parasitism.

Lake trout can displace bull trout and may prevent bull trout from becoming established in certain low elevation lakes (Donald and Alger 1993).

Evidence from central U.S. waters of Lake Superior implies that siscowet predation on nearshore prey has not had a direct negative effect on lean lake trout stocks (Harvey et al. 2003).

Reproduction

Spawns generally in fall, earlier in the north than in the south. In Lake Superior, siscowet form has been found in spawning condition in spring and summer as well as in fall; humper form spawns in late summer and early fall (Burnham-Curtis and Smith 1994). Eggs hatch in winter or spring, usually after 4-5 months. Sexually mature sometimes as early as age IV, sometimes as late as age XVII. Post-spawning mortality generally is low (Stearley 1992).
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS5Yes
Yukon TerritoryS4Yes
AlbertaS3Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS5Yes
New BrunswickS3Yes
Nova ScotiaS3Yes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
QuebecS4Yes
NunavutS5Yes
OntarioS5Yes
LabradorS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MinnesotaSNRYes
WyomingSNANo
MaineS5Yes
MontanaS2Yes
IllinoisS2Yes
KentuckySNANo
WashingtonSNANo
ConnecticutSNANo
UtahSNANo
WisconsinS5Yes
New YorkS5Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
ColoradoSNANo
NevadaSNANo
TennesseeSNANo
MarylandSNANo
New MexicoSNANo
IdahoSNANo
OhioS3Yes
OregonSNANo
ArkansasSNANo
PennsylvaniaSXYes
MichiganS4Yes
VermontS4Yes
West VirginiaSNANo
New HampshireS5Yes
IndianaS2Yes
AlaskaS5Yes
New JerseySNANo
MassachusettsSNANo
Roadless Areas (26)
Montana (3)
AreaForestAcres
Bmss Ra 1485Flathead National Forest334,275
North Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest52,227
West Big HoleBeaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest133,563
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Ruby - MarshHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest10,164
Oregon (1)
AreaForestAcres
Maiden PeakDeschutes National Forest26,432
Utah (7)
AreaForestAcres
0401001Ashley National Forest11,705
0401023Ashley National Forest8,352
0401027Ashley National Forest7,312
0401031Ashley National Forest7,110
0419020Ashley National Forest355,684
Fishlake MountainFishlake National Forest25,217
Stump CreekCaribou National Forest355
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Slide RidgeWenatchee National Forest11,430
Wyoming (13)
AreaForestAcres
0401018Ashley National Forest6,157
0401019Ashley National Forest6,202
Beartooth Proposed WildernessShoshone National Forest16,837
Cloud Peak ContiguousBighorn National Forest113,757
French CreekMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest5,928
Libby FlatsMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest11,107
Salt River RangeBridger-Teton National Forest235,661
Snowy RangeMedicine Bow-Routt National Forest29,660
South Beartooth HighwayShoshone National Forest105,570
Spread Creek - Gros Ventre RiverBridger-Teton National Forest166,097
Teton Corridor TrailheadsBridger-Teton National Forest286
West Slope TetonsTarghee National Forest47,448
West Slope WindsBridger-Teton National Forest143,252
References (35)
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  2. Burnham-Curtis, M. K., and G. R. Smith. 1994. Osteological evidence of genetic divergence of lake trout (<i>Salvelinus namaycush</i>) in Lake Superior. Copeia 1994:843-850.
  3. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  4. Daly, R.I. V.A. Hacker, and L. Wiegert. 1962. The lake trout, its life history, ecology, and management on Lake Michigan. Wisconsin Conservation Department, Publication No. 233:1-15.
  5. Donald, D. B., and D. J. Alger. 1993. Geographic distribution, species displacement, and niche overlap for lake trout and bull trout in mountain lakes. Canadian Journal of Zoology 71:238-247.
  6. Eshenroder, R. L. 1987. Socioeconomic aspects of lake trout rehabilitation in the Great Lakes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 116:309-313.
  7. Fago, D. 2000. Relative abundance and distribution of fishes in Wisconsin. Fish Distribution Database to year 2000. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
  8. Gould, Dr. William (Montana Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit. Montana State University). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. April 2000.
  9. Harvey, C. J., S. T. Schram, and J. F. Kitchell. 2003. Trophic relationships among lean and siskowet lake trout in Lake Superior. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 132:219-228.
  10. Holton, G. D., and H. E. Johnson. 1996. A field guide to Montana fishes. 2nd edition. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana State Parks and wildlife Interpretive Association, Helena, Montana. 104 pp.
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  14. Marshall, K.E., and J. Keleher. 1970. Bibliography of the lake trout--<i>Cristivomer namaycush</i> 1929-1969. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Technical Report 176. 60 pp.
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  16. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
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  24. Schmalz, P. J., M. J. Hansen, M. E. Holey, P. C. McKee, and M. L. Toneys. 2002. Lake trout movements in northwestern Lake Michigan. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 22:737-749.
  25. Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
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