Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is a freshwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 8–128 m.
Scientific name: Coregonus clupeaformis · Water: Freshwater, Brackish
Size: up to 100 cm
The lake whitefish is a benthopelagic salmonid that inhabits large lakes and large rivers and enters brackish water; it is primarily a lake dweller and appears to be rather sedentary, at least in the Great Lakes, where separate populations form. Movement in large lakes takes it from deep to shallow water and back again as the water temperature changes, and it migrates to shallow-water spawning areas before returning to deeper water. Adults feed mainly on aquatic insect larvae, mollusks and amphipods, and also on other fishes and fish eggs, including their own. Its range is most of Canada south into New England, the Great Lakes basin and central Minnesota, with introductions elsewhere including high Andean lakes. Maximum length is about 100 cm total length, commonly about 54.1 cm, and it can live 50 years. It is a commercial species, a gamefish and a public aquarium fish, with a very high price category. Fishing vulnerability is moderate to high at 51 of 100 and resilience low. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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