<< For in lakes where there are no small cold-water fish, lake trout do prey
largely on warm-water fish that live near the lakeshore. If these lakes are
invaded by bass, the invaders come into direct competition with the lake
trout - and win. >>
I believe, based on personal observations, that this is the key factor. Many
northern lakes contain both lake trout and smallmouth bass successfully for a
long time.. Perhaps they did before man's intervention. The key is the
availability of deepwater forage fish like lake herring or cisco for the lake
trout and walleyes to feed on. Although the lake trout come into shallow
water in the Spring and smallmouth bass go into deeper water in the winter to
find food they are only occasionally in competition..
Lee Harper
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