Leslie J. Matthews, PhD., Environmental Scientist
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

Lake Champlain is home to some of the best fishing in America. Preserving this treasured fishery is a top priority for everyone who enjoys fishing and recreating on these celebrated waters. As an angler, you know better than anyone how non-native species can damage great fisheries. That’s why Lake Champlain International, Inc. and the LCI Fishing Derbies have joined forces with the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation to enlist your help with preventing the spread of invasive species.

What Exactly Are Invasive Species?
Invasive species are non-native animals, plants, or disease agents that cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health. Invasive species often have no natural predators so they multiply easily and quickly, competing for food and destroying habitats of native species.

Of course, not all non-native species are invasive. No one considers apple trees invasive, even though they originated from Central Asia and were brought to America from Europe. Apple trees don’t harm our environment, and they help, not hurt, our economy – what’s more American than apple pie?

However, many non-native species do turn out to be invasive, and it’s impossible to predict in advance whether any particular plant or animal will turn out to be harmful. That’s why it’s always important to avoid introducing any non-native species into the water.

Some Invasive Species Threatening Lake Champlain
Spiny water flea is actually not a flea at all. It’s a tiny crustacean from Asia and Europe that showed up in Lake Ontario in 1982. In the summer of 2008, it was discovered in Great Sacandaga Lake, NY, on the edge of the Lake Champlain watershed. The spiny water flea and its cousin, the fish hook water flea, can disrupt important food webs leading to significant impacts on fisheries. It can also clog fishing rod guides and foul fishing lines, making it difficult to reel in a fish. Water fleas are spread by “hitchhiking” on fishing gear that isn’t cleaned, or in bilge water, bait buckets, or livewells that aren’t drained before moving to a different waterbody.

Alewives normally make their home in the Atlantic Ocean, only venturing into freshwater each spring for spawning. They were first observed in 1997 in Lake St. Catherine (Southern Vermont), where they were apparently illegally stocked, and in Lake Champlain in 2003 (unknown origin). It didn’t take long for alewives in Lake Champlain to explode – an estimated seven tons of dead fish were removed from the lake shore in Port Henry, NY in summer 2008. In land-locked lakes, alewives can multiply prolifically but they’re sensitive to sudden temperature changes, prompting rapid die-offs. The boom and bust cycles of alewives result in an unstable forage base for game fish. They’re likely to have a profound impact on Lake Champlain’s sport fishery.

The boom and bust cycles of alewives result in an unstable forage base for game fish.

Snakehead and Round Goby not here…yet, but snakeheads were discovered recently in a NY lake, prompting a massive, expensive control effort that involved removing fish from the lake into temporary storage, treating the lake with poison, then restoring the original fish population – to the extent possible. Such an effort would not be possible in a lake the size of Champlain, so our best defense is to keep them out in the first place! Round gobies first showed up in the Great Lakes in 1990. These sculpin look-a-likes are voracious feeders. In addition to the challenges they pose for fishery management, they’re annoying to anglers because they aggressively take bait, sometimes making it difficult to catch anything else. Although they look similar to sculpins, round gobies have a distinctive fused pelvic fin not found on any other fish in Lake Champlain.

VHS Viral hemorrhagic septicemia is a fish disease that’s caused dieoffs in the Great Lakes and some inland New York lakes. Fortunately, it hasn’t been detected in Lake Champlain – yet. The virus can infect a wide range of fish species – everything from baitfish like emerald shiners and bluntnose minnows to game fish species like pike, bass, trout and salmon. To minimize the VHS threat, both Vermont and New York have revised their baitfish and fish transport regulations. The disease is mostly spread by movement of infected fish, but the virus can survive in water for several days, so it’s extremely important not to move any water from one waterbody to another.

Eurasian watermilfoil can grow so thick, and spread so rapidly, that it interferes with boating, destroys fish habitat, and chokes out important native plants.

Aquatic Invasive Plants Every bass fisherman knows that dangling a hook in a nice bed of aquatic plants can be a great strategy for landing the best catch of the day. But sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Invasive aquatic plants like water chestnut and Eurasian watermilfoil, as well as others not yet found in Lake Champlain like Hydrilla, Fanwort, and Parrot Feather, can grow so thick, and spread so rapidly, that they interfere with boating, destroy fish habitat and choke out important native plants. Many of these plants can be easily transported by fragments that “hitchhike” on boats, trailers and other equipment – preventing their spread is relatively simple, and well worth the effort.

What Can Lake Champlain Anglers Do?
Support Early Detection. As an angler, you’re in tune to the surroundings where you fish. If you catch a suspicious fish, or spot any other suspicious plant or animal, please report it (see phone numbers below). When invasive species are detected before they’ve had a chance to become well established, they can be managed more effectively, and in some cases even eradicated.

Promote Spread Prevention. As an avid angler, you know how important it is to clean your boat and gear when you leave the water. In addition to setting a good example, you can help by teaching others about the importance of invasive species spread prevention for ensuring great fishing in the years to come.

To report a suspicious plant or animal sighting in the Lake Champlain region, contact:

• Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation (Waterbury) 802-241-3777
• NY State Dept of Environmental Conservation (Albany) 518-402-8282