Fish Spawning Studies Aid Kawartha Ontario Resorts
Mark Lamb -- Sat, Mar/21/09

A collaborative endeavour between volunteers, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, members of Fisheries Management Zone 17 and the Trent-Severn Waterway is underway to study the spawning habitat of Walleye in the Kawartha Lakes, with the hope of maintaining and increasing fish populations, a valuable resource for area resorts.

Kawartha Lakes, Ontario (PRWEB) March 18, 2009 -- For many of the numerous lakeside resorts and fishing camps that dot the Kawartha Lakes shoreline, a healthy and abundant fish population is vital to their business. The most economically important fish in the Kawartha Lakes region is the walleye, also known as pickerel. It is a prized fish, the favourite of many a fisherman. "Fishing has always been very important to our cottage resort business and to the local tourism-based economy," states Andrea Childs, owner of Scotsman Point Resort , a popular housekeeping cottage resort on Buckhorn Lake, in the Kawartha, Ontario. "For generations, families have come to our Kawartha resort for their summer vacation to enjoy Buckhorn Lake's excellent fishing. As well, many of our customers look forward to fishing weekends and to the fishing derbies that we put on every year. Last year, our resort guests caught many walleye - including a 7 ½ pounder, as well as 11 muskie measuring over 42", and lots of bass, perch and crappie. There is good fishing in Buckhorn and it is vital that we take care of this valuable resource," adds Childs.

This spring, in an effort to maintain and increase walleye populations in the Kawarthas, volunteers in the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes region will be out looking for the species. Every night in April, they will be searching the area waterways for spawning walleye and studying the water flow and habitat where the fish are spawning. The biological information that volunteers collect will be given to the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) where it will be analyzed. This project is a joint effort between the MNR, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH), members of Fisheries Management Zone 17 and the Trent-Severn Waterway. With the assistance of volunteers, they hope to determine if there are ways to create more suitable areas for spawning by controlling the flow of water through the Trent Severn Lock system.

Four years ago, a similar project achieved great success. The project involved studying the decreasing walleye populations in Rice Lake. By watching the Rice Lake walleye spawn, biologists discovered that the fish responded to changes in the flow of water. By controlling the water flow from Trent Severn Waterway Lock 19, they could, in a way, manipulate where the fish spawned, greatly assisting the walleye in their spring spawning season. This year's project expands on the Rice Lake project and will focus on ten other Kawartha Lake sites on the Trent Severn Waterway, including Buckhorn, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, Young's Point, and Chemong Lake.

With serious studies like the Kawartha Lakes walleye initiative, sustainable conservation practises and decisive action, local fish populations will continue to thrive. Those in Ontario's tourism industry are well aware of the importance of maintaining a healthy fish population. "A few years ago, I was involved in a similar study on Buckhorn Lake," reports Childs. "Later, under the supervision of the MNR, I formed a group with a few of my neighbours to put in a new walleye spawning bed on a point next to my resort - a great team effort. It is heartening to hear that others appreciate the value of our fishery and that something constructive is being done about preserving it. Really what is an Ontario cottage resort vacation without fishing? Fishing and summer at a lakeside cottage go hand in hand. We have great fishing on Buckhorn, now it's going to be even better," notes Childs.

Perch, pickerel, bass return to Cootes after carp leave
Mark Lamb -- Sat, Mar/21/09

Eric McGuinness
The Hamilton Spectator
(Mar 18, 2009)

The burly, bronze-coloured carp thrashed strongly as Melissa Fuller displayed it to a crowd of spring break walkers at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) fishway separating Cootes Paradise from the open water of Hamilton Harbour.

"It's basically a big bulldozer that goes through the marsh and wrecks everything," the conservation intern explained as she dumped the carp into a sluice leading back to the harbour.

Fish heading from the harbour to Cootes to spawn swim into large underwater baskets that are raised at least once most days, allowing staff to let bass, pickerel, perch, pike and other native species swim into the marsh while diverting unwanted carp and goldfish back to the bay.

Only about 50 fish were intercepted in the first three days of this year's operation, but the numbers will increase as spring advances.

Aquatic ecologist Tys Theysmeyer says one of the biggest successes of the RBG's Project Paradise marsh restoration project is the resurgence of yellow perch, a popular Great Lakes sport and commercial fish, famous in Port Dover where it's deep-fried and served on platters.

"Last year was a really good year for yellow perch, the species we're most interested in because it's a foundation species that has the biggest role to play in restoration of the fishery. It will return to being the most common animal in the RBG and the harbour.

"In the fishway's first year (12 years ago), we saw only six. Now we see more than six in each cage lift, and had more than half a million last year, but I won't be happy 'til there are 10 million."

Theysmeyer is also pleased to report that, "We've re-established spawning runs of all bass species -- rock, smallmouth, largemouth and white, though there are not a lot of them yet."

Low water late in 2007 let RBG staff chase all but a few carp out of the marsh, though a few managed to swim back and more were swept downstream from Christie Lake in meltwater last spring.

Fuller told curious onlookers this week that fewer and fewer carp are caught at the fishway each year.

"We used to see a lot," she said, "but now it's 75 per cent native species."