Did you know lake trout could live this long?
Rarely does one really think about the age of the fish they may have caught. But, you might start wondering now. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources caught a 46-year-old lake trout in Lake Superior!
DNR fisheries biologists first caught this trout back in 1981 in the Gull Island Refuge. At the time it was originally caught, officials believed it was somewhere between 10 and 12 years old.
"Its survival to a ripe old age illustrates the species' longevity and the important role fish refuges play in sustaining lake trout populations on Lake Superior," a post by the DNR reads.
As the DNR notes, the age of this fish would indicate it hatched sometime in 1971 when Richard Nixon was president and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was still ongoing!
It wasn't the first time the DNR captured this this particular lake trout either. Officials have pulled this fish out of the refuge eight times. One can only wonder how many times recreational anglers have caught and released it in that time too.
This is one of those times we wish fish could talk. We imagine this one would have some great stories to tell! There may still be more to tell, too, as the DNR released this trout back into the lake.
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