Lake Whitefish
Coregonus clupeaformis

• Length: 17 to 22 inches
• Weight: 1.5 to 4 pounds
• Coloring: silvery with pale greenish-brown back, fins clear or lightly pigmented
• Common Names: whitefish, Sault whitefish, gizzard fish, grande coregone, (French), Attikumaig (Chippewa)
• Found in Lakes: Michigan, Huron, Ontario, Erie and Superior

Patricians of the Great Lakes, lake whitefish were long prized for the delectable quality of their meat. In 1836, a scientist in the field wrote, "We can say from personal experience that a diet of whitefish alone, with no other food, can be eaten for days without losing its appeal."

In those halcyon days, these full-bodied fish often reached 20 pounds. Most lived about 10 years, though a few lunkers lasted almost 30 years.

Lake whitefish usually feed along the bottom and are generally safe from the sportsman's fishing tackle. But since 1970, commercial fishing nets have annually harvested more than two million pounds from Green Bay and northwestern Lake Michigan.

Whitefish school in cold, deep waters and are still plentiful in Lake Superior and the northern parts of Lakes Michigan and Huron. However, they have disappeared from some areas where they were once abundant.

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copyright  University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute
Brook Trout illustration copyright 1998 Gina Mikel
Lake whitefish  photograph (c) Shedd Aquarium (e-mail)
Drawing from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Last updated 07 February 2006 by Wittman