Significant changes have occurred in the distribution of trout in streams of Great Smoky Mountains National Park since 1900. By the mid-1970's the original range of the native brook trout had been reduced by about 70% and the species was relegated to suboptimal habitat in head water streams. Most of the stream sections lost by brook trout became the territory of the introduced rainbow trout, which in 1977 occupied about 80% of the Park waters. After 1950, brown trout introduced in State waters outside the Park established reproducing populations in some 50 miles of stream formerly occupied only by rainbow trout. If current trends continue, the recovery of brook trout in Park water may be difficult, if not impossible, and brown trout may occupy much of the territory now held by rainbow trout.

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The proximate composition (percentage lipid, water, fat-free dry material, ash) and caloric content of eight species of Lake Michigan fish were measured: lake trout, coho salmon, lake whitefish, bloater, alewife, rainbow smelt, deepwater sculpin, and slimy sculpin. Except for alewives, proximate composition and caloric content did not differ significantly between males and females. Although the caloric content of all species varied directly with lipid content and inversely with water content, an increase in lipid content did not always coincide with a proportional increasein caloric content when other components of fish composition were essentially unchanged. This observation suggests that the energy content of fish estimated from the proximate composition by using universal conversion factors may not necessarily be accurate.