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Zero harvest limit at Stoney Lake

Just weeks ago, dozens of vehicles could be seen on the frozen surface of one of the area’s most well-known fishing holes – Stoney Lake.
A sign was put back up after being taken down outside of Stoney Lake, advising of the zero catch limit.
A sign was put back up after being taken down outside of Stoney Lake, advising of the zero catch limit.

Just weeks ago, dozens of vehicles could be seen on the frozen surface of one of the area’s most well-known fishing holes – Stoney Lake. But those numbers are likely way down now that word has spread about a zero harvest limit put on the lake in September.

Word first started spreading last week on social media, when a photo of a notice of the change was being shared. The notice was dated September, 2016, but confusion arose due to the misspelling of “Stoney Lake” as “Stony Lake.”

Many regulars to the lake commented on the post, and admitted they had heard nothing about the changed regulation.

Owen Watkins, a fisheries biologist with Alberta Environment and Parks, confirmed there was a “zero harvest” limit put on the lake, due to a large summer kill that occurred in 2016.

“You can still fish at the lake,” he noted, but it is strictly catch and release. He said he went out to the lake himself on Thursday to post signs about the regulation change, and agreed that the lake is clearly being well used this winter, with tracks accessing the lake noticeable.

Brent Wittmeier, Press Secretary to Minister Shannon Phillips with Alberta Environment and Parks also confirmed the change.

“Albertans love to fish and enjoy the outdoors. Unfortunately, Stoney Lake experienced a significant fish kill this past summer,” he said, via email. “In order to ensure fish stocks are healthy in future years, Alberta Environment and Parks has placed a zero harvest limit on Stoney Lake for the immediate future. Fish and Wildlife officers are working to educate anglers that Stoney Lake is only open to catch and release. We will continue to monitor the fish population at Stoney Lake and will make sure anglers are notified once the population recovers.”

Ray Makowecki has been involved in spearheading meetings in the area regarding underutilized fish stocks, including a very well attended meeting at Lac Bellevue Hall held in early September. He is a former Fish and Wildlife biologist.

When asked if he knew of the regulation change to Stoney Lake, Makowecki said no.

“We all learned earlier this week about the Stoney Lake situation,” he said, last week.

He added, “Seeing that fish are still present with catchable numbers in Stoney Lake, and considering that a large loss of fish had occurred, I would suggest that the public be asked to voluntarily not harvest fish until after the spring spawning in April and May of 2017.”

Less fishing on the lake would give the fish time to recover, if the populations have been drastically reduced, he noted.

“It is encouraging that fish are still present; however, to be precautionary, I would allow the spring spawning, and then allow people to enjoy the fishing and harvesting of the fish.”

Makowecki said he personally saw nearly 50 vehicles on the lake not too long ago, and said several anglers are catching and keeping fish off the lake this winter.

Watkins says the regulation change was made as a “precaution approach.” The zero harvest limit will be in place “until we can determine the state of the fishery.” Alberta Environment and Parks will revisit the lake in the summer, and determine what the state of the lake is, and if things appear fine, the regulations will be readjusted.

“Ideally what we’d like to do is go back to the lake this coming open water season to assess the population,” says Watkins.

When asked about the summer kill that the lake experience, Watkins says it’s an “equilibrium phenomenon” that occurs when fish end up in water where there isn’t enough oxygen for them to survive.

This can happen in shallow lakes, or basins, where the water temperature is more prone to rising and falling.

“There’s more dissolved oxygen in water with lower temperatures, compared to water with a higher temperature,” he explains. Summer kills can happen in areas where fish can’t escape to deeper, more oxygenated water.

When asked about the effects of algae on the lake, Watkins explains that because algae is a plant, it too requires oxygen when it decomposes, so that decomposing plant matter also reduced oxygen in a lake.

Mostly, people catch yellow perch at Stoney Lake, but there are also northern pike and burbot present in the lake. The regulations prior to the change in September were: one pike over 63 cm, and a perch limit of 10.


Janice Huser

About the Author: Janice Huser

Janice Huser has been with the St. Paul Journal since 2006. She is a graduate of the SAIT print media journalism program, is originally from St. Paul and has a passion for photography.
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