Lamprey in Lake Nipissing?, Callander Bay Gator

[ZzzAngler]

Caught this nice Gator in Callander Bay this afternoon. Weighed 15 lbs and approx 40 inches. It had a lamprey attached which came off in my Livewell. Released the Pike but still have the lamprey. I didn’t know we had lamprey in Nipissing. This is the first one I ever saw. Does anyone know if this is common or whether I should be notifying the MNRF?

[ZzzAngler]

And once again can an Administrator fix the photo or pm me on how to do it myself?

[Grumpa]

It's likely a silver lamprey Zzz.
They're a native species to Lake Nipissing and not an invasive species...having evolved with many of the other species present in the lake.
Silver lamprey are actually protected (as opposed to the invasive and extremely harmful Sea Lampreys). It's a Federal offence to harm them.
And oh yeah...nice gator by the way
I've now gotten use to looking at your photo rotations

[ZzzAngler]

Thanks Grumpa. I knew I could count on you for guidance. I have a better photo of the lamprey you can look at. If that’s the case I should just release it then. Don’t want the Feds after me! 👍🕵️‍♂️

Btw - still waiting for guidance on the photo rotation 😀

[Grumpa]

Great pic Zzz.
By the colour and more importantly looking at the dorsal fin running continuously into the caudal fin...I'm pretty sure that's a protected 'silver' lamprey.
The sea lampreys have a very distinct separation between the dorsal and caudal fins. Saw enough of them on Erie in the 60 & 70's...when we were working hard to get rid of the invaders.
Should let the little fellow go, if you haven't already.
Thanks for the pic though.
Keep the gator photos coming.

[ZzzAngler]

Thanks Grumpa! It’s gone and I made sure far away from where we swim !!!

[kokemachine]

Lamprey is such a crazy fish. Thanks for the info Grumpa. I have yet to see one on Nipissing.

[Grumpa]

Yeah Koke, you don't see many of them on the lake. The adults die soon after spawning. You only really see them once they transform from larvae into the parasitic adult stage...that feeds on fish.
I've seen two 'silvers' in 50 years...had a smaller, newly transformed juvenile that came off in the livewell, like Zzz did...the other one I saw was being eaten by a gull down in the Hay Narrows more then a few years back.
When we pulled hoop nets on the north shore of Erie in the 60's and 70's...it seemed like a 'sea' lamprey (or their wounds) could be seen on one in every three to four dozen of the larger fish hauled out of the nets.
Thank god we went hard at treating the larvae in their incubation streams with lampricide....they were having a serious negative impact on a variety of fish species in Lake Erie back then.

[dan668]

Cool, have only ever seen one in Lake O

[jacksprat29]

Here is the pic flipped

[ZzzAngler]

Thanks Jack! Can u let me know how u did it?