Lake Simcoe stocking target of 50,000 yearling lake trout to be implemented

Lake Simcoe Tourism Alliance Partners – Lake Trout Update

The Lake Simcoe Fisheries Stakeholder Committee devoted a lot of time and energy over the past year to examining the lake trout stocking program for the lake. After looking at all the different options to deal with the good news of increasing natural reproduction of lake trout, their final recommendation was to reduce stocking numbers from 100,000 to 50,000 annually. (For a period of five years before review).  We discussed this pending change at our last FLSTA meeting.  MNR Minister Cansfield supported the change to the stocking program and the decision is now posted on the EBR… You can access complete details by following this link. www.ontario.ca/environmentalregistry and enter registry # 010-8539

In order to further facilitate the natural reproduction of lake trout in Lake Simcoe, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has established a new stocking target of 50,000 yearling lake trout to be implemented starting in the spring of 2010 for a period of 5 years. This is a reduction from the traditional annual target of 100,000 lake trout yearlings. This target will be reviewed again in 2013 prior to fall egg collections, based on the following measures of success:

1. Relative abundance of the lake trout population
2. Relative abundance of stocked and naturally reproduced lake trout in the population
3. Angler catch, harvest and effort
4. Lake trout age, growth and condition
5. Relative abundance of the herring and whitefish populations

It is anticipated that this stocking reduction will result in:

• Increased natural reproduction and survival of wild lake trout
• Improved growth of lake trout given wild fish’s more varied diets
• Unchanged angling success
• Continuing to move us towards restoring a self-sustaining cold water fish community

Thanks to Wil Wegman for the updated news !