But the study led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which included two U.S. Geological Survey scientists, found that there would be enough food to feed the fish, especially in Green Bay, Saginaw Bay, Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.

Water temperatures would also not be too cold to stymie survival, according to the report.

"The questions everyone has been asking are: 'Can a breeding population survive in the Great Lakes and would it be a significant problem if they did?'" USGS Director Marcia McNutt said in a released statement. "Now we know the answers and unfortunately they are 'yes and yes.'"