What are Splake?

Splake are a hybrid trout resulting from the cross of male brook trout and female lake trout. Splake are stocked in large lakes throughout the Northeast and Great Lakes region.

Brook Trout vs. Lake Trout  vs. Splake

Brook Trout
Credit: USFWS

Brook trout can be identified by their square tail and colorful red spots with light blue halos. Brook trout have a clearly defined vermiculation pattern along the back, especially near the dorsal fin. They lake spots on their gill plates.

Lake Trout
Credit: USFWS

Lake trout have a pattern of creamy white spots on a bronze, dark brown, or green background. They lack the red spots and blue halos that identify brook trout. Their forked tail is an identifying feature.

Splake
Credit: USFWS

Splake have spotted gill plates. They may have some vermiculation (wormlike pattern) along the back but typically less defined and more spot-like than brook trout. Splake have slightly-forked tails.  

Splake Facts

Splake are voracious feeders that grow quickly. The Maine State Record splake weighed 10 lbs. 3 oz. The Michigan state record splake weighed 17 lbs 8 oz. with a length of 34. 5 inches. The world record splake, caught in Ontario, weighed 20 lbs. 11oz.

Burbot Facts

Burbot | Credit: USGS

The burbot is one of North America's lesser-known freshwater fish. They are the only member of the cod family found in freshwater environments.

Burbot are found in freshwater lakes and rivers throughout North America and Eurasia, southward to about 40 degrees north latitude.

Distinguishing features of this unusual fish include a prominent single chin barbel and dorsal and anal fins that extend to a rounded caudal fin.

Other names include eelpout, freshwater cod, freshwater cusk, lawyer, loche, lush, lingcod, maria, and methy.

Burbot livers are said to be rich in vitamins and grow to around 10% of their bodyweight. 

Record Burbot Catches

As the popularity of burbot fishing has increased, a number of state, provincial, and other records have been set by anglers. These are a few record-setting catches from North America:

On March 27, 2010, Sean Konrad landed a 25.2 pound burbot from Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan, Canada. The fish is recognized by the International Game Fish Association and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame as the new all-tackle world record for the species.

In 2017, Sebastien Roy caught a new Ontario record burbot while fishing in Lake Simcoe. The fish weighed 17.85 pounds with a length of 39 inches.

In 2004, a record burbot weighing 18 lbs 11.6 oz was landed from Lake Marie in Alberta.

In February 2022, Swanton angler Matt Gingras landed a new Vermont record burbot while fishing on northern Lake Champlain in the West Swanton area.  The burbot weighed 10.9 pounds and measured 32 ½ inches long with a 17-inch girth. 

Just two months later, Stephen Estes of Auburn, New Hampshire, caught an 11.0 pound burbot while bass fishing on Lake Champlain.  The fish measured 34 inches in length and had a 17 ½-inch girth.

In December 2020, Saro Kevorkian caught an Illinois record burbot from Lake Michigan waters. Kevorkian’s burbot weighed 11 pounds, 12 1/2 ounces and was 33 inches long with a girth of 15.5 inches. 

Anthony Burke was fishing in Lake Michigan in January 2024 when he landed an Indiana state record burbot that weighed 14 pounds, 3.6 ounces and was 37.25 inches long.

In December 2023, Scott Skafar broke the previous Indiana state burbot record with a 10.2-pound fish he caught from Lake Michigan. In January 2024, Phillip Duracz caught a new state record burbot weighing 11.4 pounds, also from Lake Michigan.

The Wisconsin record burbot was a 37.8-inch fish that weighed 18 pounds 2 ounces; it was caught in 2002 in Lake Superior.

The Wyoming state record burbot (ling) weighed 19 pounds, 4 ounces with a length of 44 inches. The fish was caught from Pilot Butte Reservoir by K. E. Mooreland in 1965.

Shane Johnson caught a North Dakota state record burbot in January 2023. The fish was 41 3/4 inches long and 19 pounds, 8 ounces.

In March 2019, a new South Dakota state record burbot was caught by Joshua Bible Pierre while ice fishing on Lake Oahe. The 12 pound 7 ounce burbot was 33 3/4 inches long with a girth of 16 1/4 inches.

The Idaho state record burbot, which weighed14 pounds, was caught from the Kootenai River by P.A. Dayton in 1954.

The largest angler-caught cusk (burbot) in Maine weighed 18 pounds 8 ounces.

Where To Catch Musky in New York

Musky | credit: USFWS

New York is one of the most popular states in the USA for musky fishing.

Musky are considered the ultimate trophy to many anglers who pursue these fish for the challenge, massive size potential, and top predator distinction.

Musky or muskellunge are New York's largest freshwater sportfish, sometimes exceeding 50 pounds.

Often referred to as the "fish of 10,000 casts," muskies are notoriously difficult to catch. Musky are known for powerful strikes, line-ripping runs, and acrobatic fights. 

Popular hotspots for trophy musky fishing include the St. Lawrence River, Upper Niagara River, and Chautauqua Lake. They are also caught at Waneta, Greenwood, Bear, and Cassadaga lakes and the Susquehanna, Chenango, and Great Chazy rivers.

In New York, 2022 fishing seasons for muskellunge began on June 1 in inland waters and June 15 in Great Lakes waters (Lake Erie, Upper Niagara River, Lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River), according to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Muskies are managed as trophy fish in New York, and minimum size regulations of 40 inches for inland waters and 54 inches for Great Lakes waters reflect that. Some exceptions to inland water regulations exist, so anglers should check the current fishing regulations guide for the water planning a trip. For more information on New York musky fishing, visit the DEC website.

source: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

How Did Asian Carp Get in Lake Calumet?

Invasive bighead carp
Credit: USGS

Scientists from Southern Illinois University report the Asian carp found in Lake Calumet are most likely the result of a cultural release.

Human introduction is one of over twenty ways aquatic species may be introduced to new environments.

The scientists released their findings after conducting tests on the six year old fish caught in June.

Lake Calumet is the largest body of water in Chicago. Once a shallow natural lake, the waterway has been heavily modified by man.

Despite human influence, the lake and surrounding area sustains fish and  wildlife. The Lake Calumet basin has been designated an Important Bird Area of Illinois.

Invasive Asian Carp, a collection of four distinct fish species, represent a serious, but manageable threat to the Mississippi and Great Lakes Region.

Introduced in the 1970s by southern catfish farmers, Asian Carp traveled north through U.S. waterways to their current location in the Illinois River.

To cope with the further spread of these invasive species of carp, regulators installed electric barriers to prevent further progression.

Further preventative measures being considered include lock closures which would cause disruption of commercial traffic through the northern most locks on the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS).