Pbnli 



) earling splake in Georgian Bay near Meaford. 



overcast days, 7.5 young yellow pickerel per lift were cap- 

 tured during 20 seine hauls. 



Bay of Quinte and Eastern Lake Ontario. The program 

 initiated in 1967 was continued in 1968. A creel census of 

 the sport fishery in the Bay of Quinte was conducted by the 

 Unit, together with the monitoring of some commercial fish 

 stocks. Angling success in the western end of the Bay of 

 Quinte was found to be fairly stable and much better than 

 that experienced elsewhere. Reasons for the declining 

 fishery in the remainder of the Bay have not as yet been 

 determined. During the summer of 1968, the biologist-in- 

 charge of the Unit actively participated in a program of 

 experimental trawling in Lake Ontario. 



Lake Simcoe. Studies on whitefish, smallmoulh bass and 

 yellow pickerel were continued in 1968. A whitefish tagging 

 project, to determine the movements and distribution of 

 the species and its relative abundance, was initiated in 1964. 

 In the six years of operation, a total of 3,389 whitefish has 

 been tagged and, of these, some 1,534 were tagged during 

 the fall of 1968. Tag returns to date amount to 5.7 percent 

 of the tagged fish. Smallmouth bass studies are being con- 

 ducted in specific areas to determine the strength of spawn- 

 ing populations, the average size of brood stock, and the 



dispersal of lake and river spawners after spawning has been 

 completed. The major work in 1968 was confined to the 

 Pefferlaw River and entailed a netting and tagging project 

 in co-operation with the University of Cuelph, School of 

 Graduate Studies. A total of 735 smallmouth bass was tagged 

 and returns to date indicate a 5.8 percent recovery of tagged 

 fish. Large numbers of spawning yellow pickerel are olsser- 

 ved each spring in the Talbot River, but little is known of 

 their habits at other times of the year. In an effort to obtain 

 such information, experimental netting with trap nets was 

 conducted during the summer of 1968. Various sets were 

 made in the vicinity of the Pefferlaw and Beaverton Rivers, 

 the Virginia Beach area and on Trout Shoal. Ninety-seven 

 yellow pickerel were tagged, and it was apparent that the 

 waters on the south side of Ceorgina Island provided good 

 summer habitat for yellow pickerel. 



SPECIAL PROJECTS 



Long Term Yellow Pickerel Study. This study was initiated in 

 1961 in Tweed Forest District. The purpose is to determine if 

 the quality of yellow pickerel fishing in small lakes can be 

 increased by stocking when natural reproduction is low. 

 Four lakes are involved in the study: Mississagagon, Kash- 

 wakamak, Plevna and Big Cedar. Stocking history and sub- 

 sequent fishing quality has been tabulated for the four 

 study areas. Analysis of the Mississagagon data showed a 

 good relationship between fingerling stocking and subse- 

 quent fishing quality. Progress reports were submitted in 

 1965 and 1968. 



Lake Reclamation. Introductions of brook and rainbow trout 

 to suitable small lakes and ponds have contributed much to 

 the sport fishery in recent years. Such fisheries, however, 

 are largely dependent upon hatcheries for replenishment 

 and will not stand competition from species such as perch, 

 bass, yellow pickerel and pike. Also, large populations of 

 coarse fish or minnow species will greatly reduce the pro- 

 ductivity of trout in small water areas. When a lake or pond 

 is otherwise suited for trout, it is considered good manage- 

 ment to reclaim the waters for this species by applying a fish 

 toxicant. The treatment is generally made in the fall, and the 

 lake is subsequently planted with trout species in the spring. 

 The following are examples of lakes reclaimed for trout in 

 1968: Lovells Lake, McCart Township, District of Cochrane; 

 Mason Lake, Buchanan Township, Renfrew County; Porter 

 Lake, Westmeath Township, Renfrew County; and High 

 Lake, Loughborough Township, Frontenac County. 



Sturgeon Lake. Located in Sioux Lookout Forest District, this 

 lake is subjected to both angling and commercial fishing. 

 Improved access by road in recent years has increased tour- 

 ism in the area and further compounded the problems. 

 Studies in 1968 marked the end of a three-year program to 



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