Rainbow smelt, leefish, freshwater smelt, frost fish, ice fish,
candy fish - there seems to be no shortage of references for
these tasty, shimmering, torpedo-like creatures. What there does
seem to be these days, however, is a shortage of smelt
altogether. Interestingly, fishermen on both Lake Champlain and
Lake George are reporting a significant reduction in the number
of smelt caught through the ice this year. It is a phenomenon
that began a few years ago, actually, and one biologists have
difficulty understanding. On one thing biologists agree: both
lakes are continually evolving, changing with the introduction
of new fish and aquatic species as well as the impacts of human
intervention. Vermont Fisheries Biologist Bernie Pientka said a
number of factors seem to be influencing the smelt population in
Lake Champlain. While the lake still holds a healthy population
of rainbow smelt, a change in habitat along with the
introduction of non-native fish like alewives has impacted where
smelt congregate and where