Efficacy of Life-History Based Classes for Lake Trout in Setting Sportfishing Regulations

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) support sport, commercial and subsistence fisheries in many parts of North America.  Age and size at maturity and a variety of other life history characters vary widely among populations. Some of this variation is associated with differences in climate and some of it is associated with food web complexity.  We discuss ways in which harvest regulations can be adjusted to take account of this variation in order to optimize fishing opportunities.  We also explore how changes in climate may affect ways of effectively managing lake trout sport fisheries.