Lake Whitefish
Habitat and Diet:
The Lake Whitefish has, for a long time, be a very important part of commercial fishing in the Great Lakes. A member of the trout / salmon family, the whitefish swims in ' schools '( or groups) of fellow whitefish in deep, gloomy waters of 200 feet or more.
Unlike their trout and salmon cousins, whitefish have extremely small, delicate mouths( which makes it even more difficult for anglers to catch them). They feed upon insects, freshwater shrimp, small fish and fish eggs.
Relationship to humans:
The mild, delicious flavor of the Lake Whitefish has made it a very popular and important part of the commercial fishing industry. A few decades ago, overfishing and environmental issues hurt the whitefish population, but good, careful management in the 1960 ' s and 1970 ' s has largely taken care of that problem.
Fun / Unusual fact:
One of the favorite dishes served in local restaurants is " Planked Whitefish." It is cooked on a wooden board, or ' plank '.