Subject: Re: Splake question :

From: [email-masked] (Willis Stephen)
Date: 29 Aug 1995 18:13:27 GMT

Splake are Brook / Lake trout highbreads. They look more like a Brook 
trout, grow faster than a Brook trout, Don't get nearly as big as a lake 
trout, can survive in harsher conditions and muddier water than a brook 
trout . Live deeper (in colder water) than a brook trout. And are thus 
stocked in waters where brookies don't do well. I believe that they can 
have offspring, which is unusual for a high-bread anything. Can anybody 
confirm this. Any info on Splake would be greatly appreciated. How big do 
they get , how old do they live etc, . I believe they spawn in the fall, 
perhaps they can interbread with brookies rather than with other splake ???
One interesting thing is that they school more than eithor lake trout or 
brook trout. 

 Thanks.... Stephen

---

From: [email-masked] (Dave Fluri)
Date: 30 Aug 1995 16:04:35 GMT

To the best of my knowledge, there is no credible evidence of any 
significant natural reproduction or hybridisation of splake in the wild.  
This would appear to be a behavioural thing, since the gametes produce 
viable offspring in the hatchery.  Some researchers have reported 
catching a few newly-emerged sac fry on a couple of occasions, but I'm 
not sure how reliable these reports are and, according to my 
understanding, the numbers involved are *exceedingly* small.  It's true 
that splake do well in marginal brook trout waters.  In inland lakes 
planted with F1 splake, the returns to the creel are much higher than 
those from any other planted salmonid that I've had experience with.  I 
understand that the same is not true of the Great Lakes, however.

One of the problems in discussing splake, though, is that Ontario has
stocked at least three different fish over the years, all of which have
been called splake.  The "true" splake would probably be the F1 hybrid. 
We still stock quite a few of these, mainly in smaller inland lakes which
supported brook trout but have become heavily perch-infested.  Some
higher-generational splake have been planted (up to F7, I think), but
these were mostly experimental plantings.  In the Great Lakes, quite a
number of "lake trout backcross splake" have been planted.  These are the
progeny of male F1 splake with female lake trout. 

I have personally seen F1 splake over 5 kg, but the average caught by 
anglers would probably be around 500 gm.  The fish attempt to spawn in 
the fall.  The timing of the spawning act varies across the brook 
trout-lake trout range (in my area from mid-October to early December).  
Their spawning behaviour is roughly intermediate, as well.  They seem to 
construct very diffuse and messy redds, and sometimes don't cover the 
eggs meticulously as a brook trout might do.  In some instances, they 
seem to use the same upwelling areas as brook trout, but in others, 
upwelling doesn't appear to be a factor.

I know that splake can get to be 5 to 7 years old, but I wouldn't want to 
guess at their life expectancy or life span.  I'm not a splake expert, 
but I have handled thousands over the years.  I can refer anyone 
interested to some people who know much more about them than I do.  EMail 
me a request and I'll see what I can do.

--
Dave Fluri
North Bay, Ontario, Canada

Willis Stephen ([email-masked]) wrote:
:  Splake are Brook / Lake trout highbreads. They look more like a Brook 
: trout, grow faster than a Brook trout, Don't get nearly as big as a lake 
: trout, can survive in harsher conditions and muddier water than a brook 
: trout . Live deeper (in colder water) than a brook trout. And are thus 
: stocked in waters where brookies don't do well. I believe that they can 
: have offspring, which is unusual for a high-bread anything. Can anybody 
: confirm this. Any info on Splake would be greatly appreciated. How big do 
: they get , how old do they live etc, . I believe they spawn in the fall, 
: perhaps they can interbread with brookies rather than with other splake ???
: One interesting thing is that they school more than eithor lake trout or 
: brook trout. 

:  Thanks.... Stephen