Preliminary summary of fishing boat trips and fish harvested, and harvest rates per boat trip for trout and salmon and
smallmouth bass among boats seeking these species, for the months of April-August, from the 1985-2004 DEC Lake
Ontario fishing boat censuses.

	9-yr. avg.	5-yr. avg.			Yearly	Estimates
	1985-93	1994-98	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Fishing Boat Trips:	145,601	89,950	75,423	81,437	83,979	74,051	66,003	65,505

No. of Fish Harvested:
Coho Salmon	12,498	7,018	5,924	7,118	5,885	1,650	3,493	2,974
Chinook Salmon	56,343	30,272	18,399	20,931	21,992	15,052	22,541	40,973
Rainbow Trout	29,300	26,786	14,190	8,005	14,699	6,522	7,863	9,969
Atlantic Salmon	650	302	94	24	71	146	18	19
Brown Trout	50,702	26,995	21,613	26,925	25,030	16,750	21,648	16,695
Lake Trout	60,468	15,349	12,253	7,236	8,220	14,143	4,658	4,203
Total Trout & Salmon	209,979	106,722	72,618	70,242	75,893	54,264	60,220	74,850

Smallmouth Bass	39,794	31,811	71,742	70,047	54,049	33,996	50,888	28,540
Yellow Perch	6,717	2,700	10,496	7,530	6,299	4,190	6,967	12,312
Walleye	139	1,112	507	310	181	934	499	352

Coho Salmon	0.099	0.112	0.128	0.135	0.110	0.037	0.091	0.068
Chinook Salmon	0.446	0.447	0.402	0.396	0.410	0.334	0.588	0.940
Rainbow Trout	0.246	0.402	0.310	0.152	0.274	0.145	0.205	0.229
Atlantic Salmon	0.005	0.004	0.002	0.000	0.001	0.003	0.000	0.000
Brown Trout	0.413	0.400	0.467	0.508	0.462	0.368	0.555	0.380
Lake Trout	0.481	0.228	0.268	0.137	0.153	0.311	0.122	0.096
Total Trout & Salmon	1.690	1.593	1.579	1.328	1.410	1.197	1.562	1.714

Fishing effort for the months of April-August 2004 (5-month total) was estimated at 65,505 fishing boat trips, by a small margin the lowest April-August estimate among the 20 years censused, and 14.0% less than the 1999-2003 April-August effort average (previous 5 years). Boats targeting trout and salmon accounted for 43,584 boat trips, the second lowest April-August estimate among the years censused, and 7.5% less than the 1999-2003 April-August average for trout and salmon fishermen. Boats targeting smallmouth bass since the season opener (June 19) accounted for 17,942 boats trips, the lowest June-August estimate since 1996, and 27.1% less than the 1999-2003 June-August average for smallmouth bass fishermen.

The total number of trout and salmon harvested in April-August 2004 was estimated at 74,850 fish, a 12.3% increase compared to the 1999-2003 average April-August salmonine harvest. Chinook salmon and brown trout were the most commonly harvested species, comprising 54.7% and 22.3%, respectively, of the 2004 April-August salmonine total. Smallmouth bass harvest in 2004 since opening day was estimated at just 28,540 fish, the third lowest June-August total among the years censused, and a 49.2% decrease compared to the 1999-2003 average June-August smallmouth bass harvest.

Fishing quality as measured by harvest rates was mixed in April-August 2004. The trout and salmon harvest rate among boats seeking trout and salmon was 1.71 fish per boat trip, the highest April-August trout and salmon harvest rate observed since 1998, and 21.1% higher than the 1999-2003 April-August average harvest rate. Comparisons among the salmonine species show that April-August 2004 harvest rates were above their respective 1999-2003 averages only for Chinook salmon (+120.6%, and a record high among the years censused) and rainbow trout (+5.4%), and below their respective averages for brown trout (-19.5%), coho salmon (-31.8%), lake trout (-51.3%), and Atlantic salmon (-71.1%). Exceptional Chinook salmon fishing likely resulted in reduced effort targeting other species, lowering harvest rates for those species. The smallmouth bass harvest rate among boats seeking smallmouth bass was 1.51 fish per boat trip, the fourth lowest June- August harvest rate among the years censused, and 29.8% less than the 1999-2003 average June-August smallmouth bass harvest rate.