appeared to be fishing effort directed specifically towards the lake trout. Such 

 effort may well jeopardize the whole experiment which is directed towards the 

 re-establishment of a self-reproducing lake trout population. 



It was reported in 1960 the yellow pickerel study in the Bay of Quinte was 

 restricted to the accumulation of data on a routine basis. The procedure was, 

 of necessity, repeated in 1961. This procedure does provide information of 

 immediate value to management locally, and also provides an excellent backlog 

 of material as a basis for thorough research. Broad apphcability of the potential 

 results of this work will be achieved when funds and staff for the proposed yellow 

 pickerel research unit become available. 



Game Fish Studies 



Lake Trout 



The experimental lake trout plantings, using a variety of techniques to 

 achieve greater survival to the angler's creel, have been terminated. It was con- 

 cluded that planting techniques are generally satisfactory and that some other 

 factor is causing high mortality of hatchery lake trout plantings in lakes such as 

 Opeongo. The subsequent study of the influence of hard versus soft water 

 hatching and rearing on survival after planting is well under way. The first 

 plantings of stocks of known hard and soft water hatchery experience will be 

 made in 1962. An additional series of two or three year classes with similar 

 hatchery experience is planned, and assessment of the results will be undertaken 

 through the creel census in those years when these planted fish have grown 

 up to the fishery. 



Studies of the effect of winter fishing on lake trout populations suggested 

 that in some parts of the Province, at least, it is questionable whether a sustained 

 production can be maintained by a population exploited by both summer and 

 winter anglers. Further work was also done on the plankton feeding as compared 

 to fish feeding lake trout populations. When plankton feeders are introduced 

 to Lake Opeongo, where a fish diet is available to them, their growth rate 

 increases very rapidly. It has become evident from this and other work that the 

 growth rate of lake trout in many lakes could be noticeably improved by the 

 introduction of appropriate forage species. 



Speckled Trout 



The Research projects being initiated on this species are all related to the 

 development of a practical and soundly based method of determining the proper 

 rate for stocking speckled trout. It is known that in certain lakes, stocking is 

 necessary to maintain the population because of the lack of spawning faciUties, 

 or because of extremely heavy angling pressure. What is not known with any 

 accuracy is the most economical planting size and planting frequency. It is 

 known also that some lakes with natural trout populations may provide better 

 angling of hatchery plantings, but again the proper planting size and frequency 

 are unknown. In addition to these considerations, it is known that speckled trout 

 occur in lakes throughout the Province of greatly varying productivity. In lakes 

 of low production capacity, there is little point in making plantings as large as in 

 high productivity lakes unless, of course, strictly "put-and-take" management 

 is involved. Even the density of "put-and-take" plantings should be varied in 

 some way related to the lakes potential. 



With the foregoing in mind, 35 lakes were chosen from some 50 surveyed 

 during 1961. These have been carefully selected as representative of the variety of 



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