Effects of restrictive harvest regulations on rehabilitation of coaster brook trout in Minnesota's portion of Lake Superior

Adfluvial brook trout in Lake Superior, commonly referred to as coasters, were once widely distributed among tributaries and supported trophy fisheries. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recently enhanced efforts to rehabilitate brook trout in Minnesota waters by imposing restrictive harvest regulations intended to produce more large individuals adopting a coaster life-history. The agency evaluated effects of the regulation changes by conducting electrofishing stream surveys concurrently with changes and three additional times over the next 16 years. Catch per unit effort of brook trout across all streams was similar among sampling periods. Generalized linear mixed models indicated a greater proportional size structure (number ≥ 330 mm/number ≥ 200 mm) and proportion of older fish (≥ age 3) after the regulation change. Genetic analyses indicated that individuals from coaster hatchery strains, which were stocked in nearby jurisdictions, made up only 5.6% of all individuals in Minnesota streams and 12% of individuals ≥ 330 mm, although the two largest fish were hatchery strain. Our results indicated that conservative regulations can contribute to rehabilitation of coaster populations and that stocked coasters could not account for the improved size and age structure.