Lake Trout Egg Harvesting
The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) harvested lake trout eggs from Dickey Lake during early October, 2014. Nets were set on spawning shoals to collect spawn eggs and milt for the MNR lake trout rehabilitation project.
100 lake trout were caught including 20 female. 9000 eggs were collected and all fish were released back into the lake unharmed. The eggs and milt were taken to the North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery at 200 Hysert Road, Bancroft where they will be raised to yearling stage (18 months) and then stocked into natural lake trout lakes in the area in need of rehabilitation.
For the past 6 years egg collection has taken place on Weslemkoon Lake as part of the project but this year the harvesting was moved to Dickey Lake to give Weslemkoon Lake a “break”. Lakes are chosen based on factors such as healthy lake trout population and native genetic strain.
For more information on the fish rehabilitation project go to the web site: www.fishhatchery.ca
This information was provided by Erin MacDonald, Bancroft area MNR Biologist.