(b) Lake Simcoe: In the fall of 1964, a management unit 

 '.vith headquarters at Sibbald Point Provincial Park, was set 

 up to study and manage the fishery of Lake Simcoe. The 

 main emphasis during 1966 was placed on summer and 



inter creel census. A new approach was taken to the open 

 . ater creel census for Lake Simcoe. It was designed to 

 sample specific areas for yellow perch, northern pike, lake 

 trout and bass and to do so during the period of year when 

 anglers could be expected to be present in large numbers. 

 The winter fishing season of 1966-'67 was estimated at 70 

 days. The ice conditions were poor in January and early 

 February, thereby shortening the overall fishing season. The 

 total catch per unit effort decreased slightly from 1965, with 

 lake trout and whitefish showing the greatest declines. 



(c) Lake of the Woods: During the summer of 1966, the final 

 year of the proposed five-year Lake of the Woods study, the 

 eastern sector including Sabaskong and Whitefish Bay was 

 investigated. 



Field work extended from May 22 to October 21, 1966. Trap- 

 net catches in the spring provided 582 walleyes, 10 lake 

 trout, six whitefish and five maskinonge for tagging. By 

 January 1, 1967, 23 walleyes, one lake trout and one maski- 

 nonge tags had been returned; all of these by anglers. 

 A parasitological study of the fishes of this sector was con- 

 ducted with the cooperation of the Research Branch. 

 Future work on the lake will involve a quantitative creel 

 census, depth and benthos stations for the portion of the 

 lake in the Fort Frances District, spawning studies for some 

 of the major species and the collection of aquatic vegetation 

 from Lake of the Woods. 



(d) Lake Temagami: In the spring of 1966, Lake Temagami 

 was set up as a separate Fish Management Unit under the 

 direction of a biologist, assisted by a fisheries management 

 technician. 



The major activities during 1966 included a creel census of 

 summer angling. Results showed that 2,965 anglers fished 

 12,658 man-hours for a catch of 1,425 fish, or a return of 

 about 0.11 fish per hour spent angling. 

 Also started in 1965 was a follow-up to determine the suc- 

 cess of stocking lake trout yearlings. Fin clipped lake trout 

 have been planted since 1961, with different fins being 

 removed prior to planting each year. The earlier plantings 

 are now expected to begin showing up in the angler's creel. 

 Gill netting and limnological work also formed an integral 

 part of the studies carried out by the Unit during its first 

 year of operation. 



(e) Rainy Lake: This Unit, consisting of one biologist and 

 one summer student, was established in 1965 to study the 

 fishery resources of Rainy Lake, to investigate the reports 

 of declining angling success and to provide data upon which 

 management could be based. 



The work program was interrupted briefly in the spring of 

 1966 due to a change of the biologist in charge, however by 

 late June the Unit was once again operational under the 

 direction of a new biologist. The 1966 operation was devoted 

 to distribution, age and growth studies of walleye and white- 

 fish, and was concentrated on the north arm of Rainy Lake. 



(f) Georgian Bay: A long term study initiated in 1%2 to 

 gather knowledge of the walleye of the Pointe au Baril area 

 of Georgian Bay was continued in 1966. There were an addi- 

 tional 491 walleyes tagged during the spring and summer 

 netting periods. Tag recoveries in 1966 numbered 846; of 

 these, 753 were taken in Department nets, 76 returned by 

 anglers, 13 received from commercial fishermen, and four 

 recovered from dead fish. 



Movements of fish support the belief that the Shawanaga 

 Basin contains a relatively discrete population of walleyes 

 and that there is no apparent spawning migration from 

 commercial fishing grounds to the Shawanaga Basin during 

 the spring. 



PUBLIC FISHING AREAS 



With increasing urbanization in southern Ontario and the 

 need for more recreational areas, the Department has estab- 

 lished four pilot public fishing areas — at Mount Pleasant, 

 at the St. Williams Forestry Station, at Normandale and on 

 the Jackson Forest Tract near St. Williams. 

 The ponds on these areas are stocked periodically with 

 catchable-size fish throughout the fishing season, and are 

 open to public fishing free of charge. The most popular site 

 has been the Mount Pleasant Public Fishing Area. In its 

 second year of successful operation in 1966, more than 

 28,500 anglers visited the site during the 20-week trout fish- 

 ing season. These fishermen spent a total of 86,164 angler- 

 hours to catch 26,173 trout, of which 10,488 were rainbow 

 trout and 15,685 were brook trout. 



SPECIAL PROJECTS 



(a) Talbot River Walleye: The spawning run of walleye in the 

 Talbot River has increased over the years. Since it is the 

 only spawning area in Lake Simcoe now known to be used 

 by walleye, it is of vital importance. This river is a part of 

 the water-control system of the Trent Canal and is subject 

 to water fluctuations which in recent years have been great. 

 The river is a main source of spawn for the Department's 

 walleye hatchery stock. 



Arrangements were made in 1966 with the Department of 

 Transport to maintain water flow during April and May, giv- 

 ing the walleye every possible opportunity to spawn and 

 reproduce successfully. 



(b) Mississagi Walleye Study: 1966 marked the final year of 

 work in a study initiated in 1961 to determine the relative 

 effects of angling and commercial fishing on the walleye 

 population. 



The angling success as earlier predicted showed a marked 

 improvement in 1966. This improved fishing can be credited 

 to two strong year classes that resulted from spawning in 

 1962 and 1963, and appeared in the fishery as three and 

 four-year-old walleye. The results of this study indicated 

 that commercial fishing has only a minor effect on angling 

 success in comparison with the major effect of natural 

 fluctuations in spawning success. There appears to be no 

 reason to greatly restrict commercial fishing for walleye 

 under present conditions. 



(c) Bark Lake: A 10-year project initiated in 1965 is aimed 

 at establishing whether extensive winter hydro drawdown of 

 Bark Lake water is affecting the natural reproduction of the 

 lake trout population. During the summer of 1966, a simul- 

 taneous intensive creel census was carried out on Bark and 

 Aylen Lakes. Aylen Lake is similar in nature to Bark Lake 

 but not subject to water drawdown, and the census there 

 will act as a "control". During the latter years of this pro- 

 gram, the use of such a "control" lake to discount natural 

 angling fluctuations may assist in pointing up the precise 

 influence of the hydro dam on the Bark Lake lake trout 

 population. 



