SRD suspects many lakes of winterkill

[kidd]

Saw this article in the Edmonton Journal today. I hope the link works. They are suggesting that, as we already know, local lakes are hit hard due to the snow and the long winter. I post this because they are asking for reports from us anglers.
kidd


http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Harsh+Alberta+winter+takes+toll+fish+stock/4623007/story.html

[HunterDave]

Good post Kidd! I'd like to add to it with the web link for contacting SRD. I'll be contacting them with my personal observations at Heritage Lake (Morinville) and Peanut Lake. I would encourage all of you fellas with cameras that personally saw the bottom of other lakes/ponds littered with dead fish to contact them as well.

Here ya go:

http://alberta.ca/acn/201104/3022559AF1D29-AB88-428D-35A7355EC8392CAE.html

[Slannesh]

I've talked to the SRD guys in Spruce Grove and Evansburg and it's sounding like a lot of the lakes that are prone to it have winterkilled.

The one that I didn't like to hear about was Isle. Apparently they haven't seen a lot of dead fish but the O2 levels were very bad. Unfortunately it was supposed to open up for Walleye this year but with the winterkill?

[Daceminnow]

I've talked to the SRD guys in Spruce Grove and Evansburg and it's sounding like a lot of the lakes that are prone to it have winterkilled.

The one that I didn't like to hear about was Isle. Apparently they haven't seen a lot of dead fish but the O2 levels were very bad. Unfortunately it was supposed to open up for Walleye this year but with the winterkill?


what else can you tell us about the conversation regarding isle with him. that's the lake that concerns a lot of us the most.thanks.

Dace

[Jwood 456]

Yeah i'm hoping that Isle has survived this anti wild game winter. That lake produced some of the biggest walleye out of any other fisherys within an hour from my place IMO.

[Slannesh]

The couple of F&W guys I talked to both mentioned the low oxygen tests that were done in February or March, i'd have to ask again for more info. The one guy did mention that they weren't seeing a lot of dead fish, which made him hopeful that it was just the one bay that was having oxygen problems.

I don't really have a lot more info than that as it was just a general convo while I fixing some computer stuff for them. If I get a chance i'll see if I can find any more info out.

[Chris K]

I read the article in the journal today, and my take is it was pretty much a useless read without naming actual lakes. Winterkill is prominent in winters like this, and I do have an idea wich lakes may be affected, but I do not understand why the names could not be named in the article.

CK

[ssyd]

I read the article in the journal today, and my take is it was pretty much a useless read without naming actual lakes. Winterkill is prominent in winters like this, and I do have an idea wich lakes may be affected, but I do not understand why the names could not be named in the article.

CK

I'm betting it's not because they're trying to hide facts but that there's just too many to name.

[Paul C]

[QUOTE=Chris K;909199]I read the article in the journal today, and my take is it was pretty much a useless read without naming actual lakes. Winterkill is prominent in winters like this, and I do have an idea wich lakes may be affected, but I do not understand why the names could not be named in the article.
Here is a photo I took two weeks ago out at Star Lake located west of Mink Lake. This minnows trying to get to were there is oxygen.

[WayneChristie]

Here is a photo I took two weeks ago out at Star Lake located west of Mink Lake. This minnows trying to get to were there is oxygen.

I saw that at a local a couple years ago, drilled a hole and it was solid minnows in seconds. But there were still pike in it this winter that were at least 3 or 4 years old size-wise.

[Paul C]

I saw that at a local a couple years ago, drilled a hole and it was solid minnows in seconds. But there were still pike in it this winter that were at least 3 or 4 years old size-wise.
There is no pike in star lake.

[Sundancefisher]

At this rate of warming...I doubt lakes will be ice free until late May. Our lake in Calgary has grown ice this April...instead of loosing ice. It is just getting too cold and the snow insulates really well.

Hopefully snow melt will help...but we need 15 to 20 degree temperatures with a few days of good rain. Snow just does not help the melt and actually makes winterkill worse as it chokes off the light again.

[Kim473]

At this rate of warming...I doubt lakes will be ice free until late May. Our lake in Calgary has grown ice this April...instead of loosing ice. It is just getting too cold and the snow insulates really well.

Hopefully snow melt will help...but we need 15 to 20 degree temperatures with a few days of good rain. Snow just does not help the melt and actually makes winterkill worse as it chokes off the light again.

With the sun getting higher in the sky, you will be surprised how fast the ice will leave. We just need a week of sunny days and it will rot realy fast and be gone. Most lakes in the province will be ice free before the may long weekend.

[Fishfinder]

There is no pike in star lake.

He never said there was?

With the winter we have had, I suspect a few southern lakes have winterkilled as well...but don't have cam... Michelle being one of em and the pond here in town, which is too bad, was catching some nice perchies n pike outta there last fall. Hoping they restock it...with Bass...hahaha jk:)

[Daceminnow]

I read the article in the journal today, and my take is it was pretty much a useless read without naming actual lakes. Winterkill is prominent in winters like this, and I do have an idea wich lakes may be affected, but I do not understand why the names could not be named in the article.

CK

agreed. i know you're in contact with the guys up there quite often. let us know if/when you get anymore info regarding the status of actual bodies of water that are in question. thanks.

Dace