Total pelagic fish abundance data were collected annually in mid-summer using sonar along a set of transects in each of eight lakes (Allequash, Big Muskellunge, Crystal, Sparkling, Trout, Mendota, Monona, and Fish), from 1981-1999, and in Lakes Monona and Fish from 1995-1999. This data is not available online (contact gahler@wisc.edu). No data was collected in 2000.

In 2001, collection resumed on Crystal, Sparkling, and Trout. In 2005, collection resumed on Lake Mendota. This data is included in this dataset as CSV files. The data represent lake-wide density estimates for abundant pelagic prey species in each lake. The sampling on each lake was conducted in depths greater than 5 meters to avoid hazards to equipment. In addition, because of the near field acoustic effects, the upper 2 meters of the water column is not represented in the data. Although they were rare, large targets representing predatory species were excluded from the density estimation for pelagic prey species using the proportion of large targets identified during single target analysis on each lake. Densities for Sparkling, Crystal and Mendota are for the entire basin of each lake. The data shown for Trout Lake represent densities in only the south basin. Number of sites: 4