Winterkill winter of 2013

[GTAbassangler]

So I was reading some articles and the impact this harsh winter we expereinced has taken a large toll on our fisheries. Winterkill happens anually, however it is alot worse this year!

This is what is happening in Puslinch lake, or has happened.
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/dead-fish-found-floating-in-puslinch-lake-1.1755686

And this is how a winterkill happens
http://www.aquaweed.com/pdf/Winterkill%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf


I was hoping to take a trip to Puslinch lake this year, and now I don't think it would be worth the drive.

I am hoping bodies of water like mountsberg ( as shallow as it is ) won be effected too badly!

So do you guys think this will result in a slow, tough fishing season?

 

[Kit]

Yeah really gonna set back fishing in there for a few years to come now. We shall see how the other conservation areas are after the thaw out.

 

[hamiltonangler94]

Im thinking the lakes are gonna be effected a lot more than the rivers, just based on the fact that the average river doesn't build near as much ice as a lake does and there's a lot more current which produces oxygen for the fish

 

[W_boughner]

All shallow lakes are going to hurt from this winter !! Don't be surprised if mountsburg is hit harder than puslinch

 

[Kit]

Oh I would not be surprised if Mountsburg is worse.

 

[BramptonBass]

I will be scouting my favorite urban ponds tomorrow and will report back (with photos) if I find any winter kill.

 

[Kit]

I will be scouting my favorite urban ponds tomorrow and will report back (with photos) if I find any winter kill.

Sounds good.

 

[GTAbassangler]

Bleh last year I was landing a bunch of smaller pike, the future was looking promising for mountsberg. I read somewhere that the max depth is like 8' at the dam, which I assume would result in a depleated fish population? Being a conservation area however, would it be a possibility that they would re-stock it?

 

[W_boughner]

I don't think they tend to the lake just keep it from being a dumping ground

 

[GTAbassangler]

Thats unfortuinate, would be great to see them through some bass or pike in there, if it really got hit hard this winter

 

[Drop_Shot]

This has been such a harsh winter, both us and the fish have had it rough... While larger deeper lakes like Simcoe, and the Muskokas won't be affected, you can bet that other shallow lakes like Mountsberg and Little lake in Barrie probably experienced a large winter kill...

Puslinch is a special case though, because it's such a shallow lake, I was reading a report a while back on it saying they wanted to introduce walleye and bass but it was way too shallow, and is more like a marsh. Because of this only low oxygen tolerant species such as perch, fathead minnows, and bullhead were present in the lake. So I wouldn't be surprised if Puslinch was the hardest hit lake.

 

[Alfiegee]

Oh I would not be surprised if Mountsburg is worse.

I'm not so sure about that Kit. As far as I know Puslinch doesn't really have any real streams flowing into it, it is fed by run-off and springs from the aquifer underneath it. Mountsburg on the other hand does have streams that run into it that would not have froze solid that would have at least provided some oxygen for the fish. Also at the dam not sure how thick the ice would have got due to the current of the water, but I wonder if it thawed on and off over the winter when we had our very few mild spells. Not saying there wasn't a fish kill, but Mountsburg does have a better chance of getting O2 than Puslinch when a deep freeze does set in like this past winter.

Alfie.

 

[grayer]

Really is quite sad...I live about 2 minutes from puslinch lake, great lake to canoe around with the guys and fish all day long.

 

[Kasim Baluch]

So I was reading some articles and the impact this harsh winter we expereinced has taken a large toll on our fisheries. Winterkill happens anually, however it is alot worse this year!

This is what is happening in Puslinch lake, or has happened.
http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/dead-fish-found-floating-in-puslinch-lake-1.1755686

And this is how a winterkill happens
http://www.aquaweed.com/pdf/Winterkill%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf


I was hoping to take a trip to Puslinch lake this year, and now I don't think it would be worth the drive.

I am hoping bodies of water like mountsberg ( as shallow as it is ) won be effected too badly!

So do you guys think this will result in a slow, tough fishing season?

Wow, unreal. I really didn't have a clue about this until now. Sad way to hear about it but we can help out a bit by not putting any more pressure on the lake. Never been but heard its a great place.

 

[Kit]

They spent tons of cash dredging this kettle lake out on one side down about 20 ft or so on the east side of the lake to help the fish since it gets so shallow in the summer. Guess that never helped really.

 

[salmotrutta]

This has been such a harsh winter, both us and the fish have had it rough... While larger deeper lakes like Simcoe, and the Muskokas won't be affected, you can bet that other shallow lakes like Mountsberg and Little lake in Barrie probably experienced a large winter kill...

Puslinch is a special case though, because it's such a shallow lake, I was reading a report a while back on it saying they wanted to introduce walleye and bass but it was way too shallow, and is more like a marsh. Because of this only low oxygen tolerant species such as perch, fathead minnows, and bullhead were present in the lake. So I wouldn't be surprised if Puslinch was the hardest hit lake.

Believe it or not, there are walleye in Puslinch, as well as Bass and Pike.

I wonder how bad Little Lake (the one connected to Puslinch) got hit.

 

[GTAbassangler]

Believe it or not, there are walleye in Puslinch, as well as Bass and Pike.

I wonder how bad Little Lake (the one connected to Puslinch) got hit.

I heard little lake was fished out and had too much pressure, had nothing worth fishing left in it? That was my understanding!

 

[salmotrutta]

I heard little lake was fished out and had too much pressure, had nothing worth fishing left in it? That was my understanding!

Got a fun pike within minutes my first time fishing it, that was in 2010 mind you (holy shit time flies). Haven't fished it recently.

 

[GTAbassangler]

Got a fun pike within minutes my first time fishing it, that was in 2010 mind you (holy poop time flies). Haven't fished it recently.

From what ive heard on other forums, its no good anymore!

 

[grayer]

I know a few guys that got out on little lake this winter, few small pike