MANITOULIN—The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has stocked well over 100,000 fish in Manitoulin Island waters this year.
Wayne Selinger, area biologist with the MNRF Sudbury office, told the Recorder last week, “the MNRF stocked various lakes on the Island with fish. These numbers do not include stocking that may have occurred by the Upper Great Lakes Management Unit in the waters of Lake Huron.”
In Lake Manitou, 64,859 lake trout yearlings have been stocked, along with 10,000 brook trout yearlings, said Mr. Selinger. For Otter Lake, 2,000 F1 splake yearlings have been stocked.
Another 22,000 walleye fingerlings have been stocked in Lake Kagawong, with 5,000 walleye fingerlings being stocked in Tobacco Lake.
The MNRF, “was also able to provide the United Fish and Game Clubs of Manitoulin (UFGCM) with 12,000 plus walleye fingerlings in support of its advanced culture project on Lake Kagawong,” Mr. Selinger said.
Mr. Selinger also commented on concerns raised recently by members of the Lake Manitou Area Association (LMAA) regarding reduced stocking of fish on Lake Manitou. He explained, “in 2008 the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) decided to change lake trout stocking in Lake Manitou from a yearly operation to a ‘two years on/two years off’ stocking operation.”
“The decision, which was discussed in advance with the Lake Manitou Area Association, was made for two reasons: one, MNRF was receiving reports of skinny lake trout, which is a sign that the lake may be overstocked relative to the amount of natural available food (e.g., the availability of forage fish),” continued Mr. Selinger.
“Two, the amount of naturally reproduced lake trout in Lake Manitou has increased significantly-which is great news for the lake. Currently, the lake trout population is made up of more than 50 percent naturally reproducing fish,” said Mr. Selinger. “In 1980, this number was less than 10 percent. Stocking heavily on top of these natural year classes of lake trout will only suppress what the lake can naturally produce.”
Mr. Selinger pointed out, “rather than discontinuing stocking altogether, stocking two years on and two years off will allow MNRF to evaluate the degree of contribution that the stocked fish are making versus the natural year classes.”
He added, “MNR also initiated brook trout stocking in Lake Manitou in 2006 to diversify the fishery. As a result, brook trout are becoming more abundant and many anglers are happy with the new addition to the fishery.”
