Survey - Lake Trout stocking in Huron and Georgian Bay

[Josh Choronzey]

Well I do know the MNR puts a huge amount of money into stocking lakers in Gbay but I don't really know how many people catch and fish for them. Is it true that its only fishing clubs and private groups stocking rainbows and salmon and that the MNR has stopped it all together in Gbay?

I was not aware that you could not eat them? In lake O is it not advised to eat only one a year and only adult males (people eating the fish not big male lakers) ?

Personally I only fish for rainbows and salmon in Gbay and its tribs but I do fish for lakers on Simcoe. I think with the way that the rainbow population is taking off in rivers like the geen that some more stocking should be done by the MNR as its becoming so popular.

Seems the MNR likes to focus on rehabilitating indigenous fish like lakers and not rainbows and nooks. Personally I would like to see the stocking of lakers continue but also more stocking of rainbows and salmon.

Sorry a lot of questions here.

To answer ? #1.
MNR doesn't stock salmon. Private clubs stock salmon, steelhead and browns. MNR is becoming more involved in raising steelhead for Huron but not to the extent of private clubs. While the mnr may not stock salmon, they control the #'s stocked by private clubs.

[darryl choronzey]

The MNR is almost totally out of any type of stocking game in Huron or Georigain Bay....except lake trout


Years ago they stocked some rainbow off the Southampton pier for the Saugeen and they were just wasted due to no possibility of imprinting

They supply brown trout eggs for CFip (or whatever you want to call it) programs and a few years ago 'mistakenly gave a few Ganaraska eggs to a south Lake Huron club by mistake. They have a chance to really do something now due to an Ontario Steelheaders / MNR joint program that could really advance fishing across the province, but I'm not counting on it....but who knows????

As for you Lake Huron lake trout program.... Nothing wrong with it. But I would cut the program by at least half for Lake Huron / Georgian Bay and bring in Temagami wild stocked eggs to utilize the hatchery space and help out the bit 'T' and other lakes around it with wild local 'T's strain lake trout...but what do i know.

Anyways, Chatsworth water is awfully cold and would have to be artificially heated to raise rainbow properly and to be honest again..they are bound and determined to keep pounding away big time with lake trout.

Ask yourselves this.....If the MNR really listened to these zone committees...and the majority of members from the zone committees are demanding that the MNR cut back on lake trout stocking instead of increasing stocks...and the MNR keeps status quo or increasing lake trout numbers....does the MNR really listen to these committees???? Don't want to bruise egos, but I don't think so.