Fort Saskatchewan pond
 

Hi Folks,

Just wondering if anyone has been out to the Fort Lions Pond in Fort Saskatchewan and if they had any luck?

Thanks,

Hip

Nothing living in the pond right now. They left it off the stocking list last year I heard due to finding whirling disease in it. ACA has it listed as a tbd if they will stock it. I heard they are looking at putting perch in due to the issue. I am hoping they do it because its nice to take the kids too.

It was stocked with perch last June before the Kids can Fish day. I heard of some being caught though the ice this past winter and maybe the odd good rainbow hold over.

Used to be my first open water outing in April and would always find at least one very decent 'bow but not this year, i.e., didn't even bother.

Last week in the Ft. Saskatchewan paper, The Record, they showed some good size perch that died over the winter. They were in the zone between the shore and the ice. Maybe they’ll stock more this year and maybe run the aeration system this coming winter?????

Why do they bother having aerators if there not going to leave them run all year? Is finances the problem or just plain stupid thinking? Anyone know?

I'm guessing it's a safety/liability issue. I know, aeration was reinstated in a number of lakes after the disastrous winter of 2015/2016, but this pond is located within the boundaries of a city of 27000 and the area is surrounded by walking and cross country skiing trails. If I were in city management I would not allow the aerators to run in the winter.

Yeah i guess thats a good enough reason alright. I never thought of the closeness to so many folks. Do they skate on it in the winter at all?

The Fort Lions pond by the boat launch was stocked with Perch last year. 1500 were put in but maybe a few hundred were big enough to catch. I didnt catch anything in about 5 outings last year.

The aerators were ran all winter this past year.

The paperlast weak that showed dead fish from winter kill was the pond located inside the offleash dog park. It was not stocked by ACA but by the city, so was not advertised as a fishery. This pond does not have an aeration system.

I was waiting till after the election before I emailed ACA to find out what the stocking plan for the Fort Lions fish pond will be, but haven't gotten around to it.

Perch? Or walleye and suckers.

These were in the dog park pond and actually were walleye. The Record has gone wwwaaayyy downhill, no surprise their reporting was false.

Not correct, they were turned off!:argue2:

Dang. I was told last summer that they would be keeping them going in the winter.

Do any of you guys know where these stocked perch come from?
Is there a hatchery you can get them from now, or were they netted from another water body?

Apparently netted from another pond.

Thanks

According to ACA, its "to be decided" what they will be stocking it with this year. Feels like the stocking of perch has been a failure. Not sure how long whirling disease stays present in a pond, but maybe they'll go back to rainbow trout.

Why was the perch stocking a failure?

No one caught one all summer (that I know of), and the few people that went on the ice didnt see a thing on camera.

I think I caught 2 or 3 perch there last summer. Warm summer afternoon/evening in June. Should have been good dragonfly/damselfly fishing. I think I only saw one rise. Finally caught something (the perch) on a sink tip line and a small leech.

The above success (or lack thereof) is the very reason I won't be back unless things change.

I emailed ACA a few days ago on what the plan will be for stocking the pond. I haven't received a response. So I'm guessing there still isnt one, unfortunately.

Alberta Environment stocked perch into the pond last year. ACA has been informed that Alberta Environment assessed the pond this spring and have determined that perch have overwintered and are showing signs of naturally reproducing (females in spawning condition). Based on their assessment, Alberta Environment has determined that there will not be a perch stocking this spring.
Hope this clarifies things for people.

P.S. who did you email at ACA regarding the pond?

Just the general info email that's listed on the website. Thanks for the info. I was own at the pond today and there there was a lot of "food" for them swimming around the dock.

I was talking to the lions group just the other day in fort sask. Even though the aca and such is not stocking it they pay for stocking and said in the first week of june there is a shipment of perch slated to go in just before the kids can fish day.

Awesome. Thanks for that info.

The kids can catch event was yesterday and apparently no one caught anything. One of the volunteers there said only 2 fish have been caught in the last 5 years at these events.

They live
 

Today my brother and I caught one 7" perch and one 1.5" perch. The big one must have been from the stocking program and the tiny one must have been a yearling; meaning they spawned. I hope they aerate over winter because this is such a nice pond for kids. We need more perch ponds IMO.

Monster