Lake Champlain perch strain

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

Are there any experts on here that can confirm whether the yellow perch in Lake Champlain are a different strain than those found in typical lakes of the Adirondacks ? My reason for asking is based on my observations which appear visually to be significant differences .

Perch from Lake George and Paradox to name 2 waters, are for the same length as those I have caught from Champlain, not as tall from top to bottom at just above the dorsal fin, and also not as thick, so that they weigh less at equal lengths. The difference is magnified as the length increases. I caught a 12.5 inch perch from Champlain this weekend that must have weighed 1.5 pounds, and I have never seen one close to that chunky at that length from another water. Any well thought out responses to this post are highly appreciated

[BeenPerchin315]

I’d like to hear someone explain this as well. Very interesting.

[fullThrottle]

Maybe male or females?

[buz23]

Maybe I'm just imagining it, but I see differences in the perch in Lake George vs Saratoga.  To me the Saratoga perch have bigger mouths.  Maybe its a function of what they have evolved to eat.  The Lake George perch really hammer the scuds in the grass, or tiny perch.  Saratoga doesn't have the grass beds and scud supply that Lake George does, and I know they eat a lot of little bluegills and sunfish. 

Your question on Champlain is interesting.  Back 45 years ago when I fished it the perch were pretty small, but even the little ones would hit the mixed bait tipups we were using for walleyes and saugers, back when Champlain had saugers. I fished the south end around Putnam, Dresden, etc., where the water is a little cloudy.  What part of the lake did you take that chunky perch from.

[BeenPerchin315]

In Ontario bays you can see significant color difference in the perch, I am told that is due to the fish that never leave the bay maybe something like that.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

Maybe I'm just imagining it, but I see differences in the perch in Lake George vs Saratoga.  To me the Saratoga perch have bigger mouths.  Maybe its a function of what they have evolved to eat.  The Lake George perch really hammer the scuds in the grass, or tiny perch.  Saratoga doesn't have the grass beds and scud supply that Lake George does, and I know they eat a lot of little bluegills and sunfish. 

Your question on Champlain is interesting.  Back 45 years ago when I fished it the perch were pretty small, but even the little ones would hit the mixed bait tipups we were using for walleyes and saugers, back when Champlain had saugers. I fished the south end around Putnam, Dresden, etc., where the water is a little cloudy.  What part of the lake did you take that chunky perch from.

buz23, it was caught south of Crown Point, the water was slightly cloudy as it tends to be in that part of the lake. I only tipup fish so all my fish are caught on live minnows. I think all of the perch I cleaned from Champlain this weekend had baby bluegill and crappies in their guts, partially digested but easily identified as 1 inch long fish. I did not see this in the skinnier perch caught from Paradox this weekend.

[bigredonice]

 more like different forage, leading to different growth rates.  Alewives are very easy for perch to gorge on, thats why champ's perch are getting so much bigger on average that the past, thats why the finger lakes, lake ontario and small alewive lakes often have the very biggest perch around. 

[adk iceman]

I don't know if it has anything to do with strain but I live in Whitehall and have fished lake George and Champlain my whole life and you can tell the difference between the two not only color but like you said Champlain gets those thick humpback perch. Even the smaller ones are thicker back to belly. When it comes to size Champlain has way more slobs than you catch on " the king"

[bootstrap]

my guess is the strain is the same just have evolved differently due to location, darwinism. just like some birds etc. there are some biologist on the vt forum that are very knowledgable and may be able to give a better answer.

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

more like different forage, leading to different growth rates.  Alewives are very easy for perch to gorge on, thats why champ's perch are getting so much bigger on average that the past, thats why the finger lakes, lake ontario and small alewive lakes often have the very biggest perch around.

BigRed, you did not disappoint ! I was pretty sure you would chime in on this thread. Thank you

[Swinginhammers_and_fishin]

Champlain seems like an ice fishing staple in NY and VT-always has been.  Just curious (and maybe I’m missing it) but I don’t see a long bs thread for champ like the other big lakes in NY.  Why is this?

[bootstrap]

no bs here

[cnypanfisher]

I bet it is the forage, perch that eat buckeyes and lake shrimp and bugs (Oneida) taste different than ones from Ontario, I don't know what thier main forage is.

[BeenPerchin315]

Champlain seems like an ice fishing staple in NY and VT-always has been.  Just curious (and maybe I’m missing it) but I don’t see a long bs thread for champ like the other big lakes in NY.  Why is this?

Not a staple to this icemen. Never been to Champlain gorge the sacandaga to Far East. Those lil lakes aren’t worth the 3/4hr drive from where I am. The Great Lake is all I really need 🤪 lol

[Hess]

I regularly follow the NY, VT & NH Ice Shanty forums -- the VT forum has a pretty continuous stream of posts relating to Lake Champlain ice fishing (much more so then the NY forum)!