Blood Indian Reservoir; is it aerated or is it susceptible to winterkill?

[Smitty]

Always wondered about Blood Indian; I have never fished it. I'm never down that way. 

Looks like AEP is going all in with Blood Indian, which I think is cool. Can't remember the last time 4 species of trout were stocked into one waterbody (someone can correct me here, undoubtedly). 

So I hope it isn't a waste; does the reservoir ever winterkill? Maybe I'll come fish the reservoir sometime. 

Personally, I am fine with more brook, brown, and tiger trout being stocked. Choice is good in closed stillwater systems that have no chance of impacting native fisheries. Makes it a little more exciting.

Anyways, that's quite the buffet on the trout menu. Not to mention, that handful of Tiger brood stock!   Anyone up for catching an 10 pounder??? 

[trailhead]

Maybe they put the big tigers in there to eat some of the invasives in that lake.

[northfork]

31 minutes ago, trailhead said:

Maybe they put the big tigers in there to eat some of the invasives in that lake.

Bingo, same with the browns and brookies. Rainbows get progressively more piscivorous as they grow of course. I love the 10 large tigers that were stocked. Must be a "brood stock" of sorts, of course they aren't used for reproductive matters as they're sterile, but must have been research fish, must be nice and ugly like the rainbows, all rubbed raw and torn up from concrete.

[DonAndersen]

Unfortunately the belief still exists that removal of invavsives can.be accomplished by browns. 

Never worked in Phyllis and it won’t work in Blood Indian for exactly the same reason.

The lake has to be capable of raising larger fish but as the food resources have been depleted by overstocking and invavsives, thereis nothing left to raise  trout much beyond 12”

Brooders are fish used to being feed pellets and not hustling the butts for groceries. They generally die soon after stocking.

Don

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BrianR]

I myself like the inclusion of Tigers.Will they control the invasives,it's better than them sitting on there laurels.Like all govt's have been doing in AB.Adds another oppurtune species to a lake.When Tigers are in the mood they'll eat damn near anything.Good job fisheries staff.!!

[Dangus]

Don, isn’t every fish stocked in Alberta “used to” being fed pellets?  

 

Bron

[Sparkplug]

 

Pardon my unfamiliarity with this fishery, but what are the "invasives" that we are talking about here?

Conceptually, using more piscivorous trout species to control invasives (if the invasives are in fact fish of some sort) is interesting.  I'm no fisheries biologist, but is it not true that any trout/char species (browns, brookies included) need to be a certain size before they are primarily piscivorous?

Anybody know if certain trout/char species have a preference for particular invasives, so that a stocking program might be tailored to the invasives presence in that waterbody?

 

 

[Smitty]

I am not sure that this will completely answer your question sparkplug, but yes, it is generally the older, bigger trout that generally transition their diets to be primarily piscivorous.

Someone with more knowledge can chime in here, but I believe bull trout and lake trout are the "first" to transition to fish eating; happens relatively young (yes?). Adult browns, rainbows of course will also eat minnows. And everyone by now knows about the "mouse" hatch. 

Of course, other variables are the strain of fish and the availability of prey - fish to eat. 

As for invasives, my understanding is that one advantage of tiger trout is that they will eat "invasive" perch, in instances where perch have been re-introduced pothole fisheries that were previously intended as stocked rainbow trout type fisheries.  Something about the jaw structure of tigers that can crush a perch (or something, this is grapevine stuff I am repeating).

Supposedly - I have never fished there, despite being an Edmontonian - that Obed browns predate on the numerous perch in the lake. Hope someone can chime in and confirm this.

So one "workaround" regarding the widespread issue of perch "infestation" in our rainbow trout stocked fisheries, is to also stock them with browns and tigers and...hope for the best?

Regarding Blood Indian, I'm not sure if there are invasives in the reservoir - I have never fished it. Are we talking perch? 3 spine stickleback? Carp?

Personally, I would love to see 75cm tigers stocked into Cow lake...

 

[Dangus]

The “invasives” are Prussian carp I believe.  Apparently the bows have been eating them for years, stomach content shots to prove it.  

Read it on AO—before I got banned, of course.

[Dangus]

Side note, what’s the water clarity out there like? Alberta tea?

[BrianR]

Smitty; You asked about winterkill/aerators.Doubtful for both.The res. is deceptively deep.South end[dam] somewhere btwn 25-35' deep.It can be dangerous imo.The east shoreline bt launch was 10-15',but go 200' south,on east shore[bank]20+'.Years ago we fished in the back pocket,kinda south of the launch.You go along that east shore & left.Bloodworms consistent action,til the wind blew us off.I believe they started with browns,a couple of years ago.To see if they to would also persue the Prussian Carp.The addition of Tigers should present some quality angling.I think there is now 4 species of trout in there..

[albertatrout]

Full of carp, never has had winterkill issues and there is some very good potential for fish growth. Heavy use by the cooler filling crowd but still some large trout most trips out. The carp are very very bad, we have caught piles of them using some of the classic still water trout techniques. Most around 10". Not sure if coincidence but I'd say water quality seems to be going downhill with more carp. More murkiness for sure. I'd still say high potential for above average fishery with the stocking diversity. If interested check out the write up in atlas of Alberta lakes. It is a very productive system. 

[Sparkplug]

 

Thanks all for the additional comments on the "invasives" here.  If they are carp at around 10" length, then wouldn't a larger predator species like pike or walleye be better suited to dealing with these, than trout (other than lake trout or bulls)?

Of course there would be juvenile carp around as well for the trout, but if the issue with the carp is prolific breeding, you'd want to take out more adults, wouldn't you (and hence the larger predator species)?

 

[BrianR]

tHERE ARE A NUMBER OF YOU TUBE VIDEO'S,HOW TO CLEAN  CUT,PICKLE ETC. Then of course a slip of a knife,a stomp,with a gentle toss.*hit hawks,ravens,coyotes will love you..

[DonAndersen]

5 hours ago, Sparkplug said:

 

Thanks all for the additional comments on the "invasives" here.  If they are carp at around 10" length, then wouldn't a larger predator species like pike or walleye be better suited to dealing with these, than trout (other than lake trout or bulls)?

Of course there would be juvenile carp around as well for the trout, but if the issue with the carp is prolific breeding, you'd want to take out more adults, wouldn't you (and hence the larger predator species)?

 

Sparkplug,

the concept of dumping pike into lakes after some idiot illegally stocked perch started with Cow Lake. Other stockings of pike again rewarded illegal actions. 

We have lost 6 lakes in tbe Rocky area to illegally stocked perch with no end in sight other than the Govt rewarding illegal stocking.

Don 

[DonAndersen]

On 2018-11-14 at 8:41 AM, Bron said:

Don, isn’t every fish stocked in Alberta “used to” being fed pellets?  

 

Bron

Bron,

you ever caught one of those lard assed brooders. I have by accident. Sad excuse for a trout. 

Don

[Dangus]

3 hours ago, DonAndersen said:

Bron,

you ever caught one of those lard assed brooders. I have by accident. Sad excuse for a trout. 

Don

Well good thing you’re out there excercising them then!

[trailhead]

I caught one once in Lees Lake, it came from the Allison Trout facility. Put up quite a fight jumped and ran, but I guess for the size of the fish it could have been stronger. But it sure got the attention of the fish whackers there. Especially when I released it.

[Sparkplug]

20 hours ago, DonAndersen said:

Sparkplug,

the concept of dumping pike into lakes after some idiot illegally stocked perch started with Cow Lake. Other stockings of pike again rewarded illegal actions. 

We have lost 6 lakes in tbe Rocky area to illegally stocked perch with no end in sight other than the Govt rewarding illegal stocking.

Don 

 

Don, to be clear, I'm not advocating for the stocking of walleye or pike to address the invasives issue in BIR, or any other waterbody for that matter.  I acknowledge your perspective that the stocking of pike into a former trout lake to take care of perch is a form of reward for the illegal stocking of perch, turning a former trout waterbody into a pike/perch fishery instead.

I thought that browns were the most (high) temperature-tolerant of the trout, and hence could have the best potential to grow in our relatively shallow/warm prairie lakes/reservoirs into fish-eating predators.

[DonAndersen]

59 minutes ago, Sparkplug said:

 

Don, to be clear, I'm not advocating for the stocking of walleye or pike to address the invasives issue in BIR, or any other waterbody for that matter.  I acknowledge your perspective that the stocking of pike into a former trout lake to take care of perch is a form of reward for the illegal stocking of perch, turning a former trout waterbody into a pike/perch fishery instead.

I thought that browns were the most (high) temperature-tolerant of the trout, and hence could have the best potential to grow in our relatively shallow/warm prairie lakes/reservoirs into fish-eating predators.

Sparkplug,

in order for browns to be large enough to become effective predators, they need food. Perch & Prussian Crap decimate the food resources. No grub means very littel growth.

Don

 

[danhunt]

Not to hijack the thread, but maybe we should have a go fund me campaign to purchase some rotenone for these lakes.  These are really rough numbers, but it takes about a gallon of rotenone to treat an acre foot of water, and Blood Indian is about 255 acres with an average depth of 15 feet, so approximately 3825 gallons would be needed.  The best estimate (and I don't know how old this information is) that I could find was that a gallon of rotenone goes for $50-$80 USD, so it would probably cost in the neighborhood of $400,000 CAD to do one treatment. 

[albertatrout]

3 hours ago, danhunt said:

Not to hijack the thread, but maybe we should have a go fund me campaign to purchase some rotenone for these lakes.  These are really rough numbers, but it takes about a gallon of rotenone to treat an acre foot of water, and Blood Indian is about 255 acres with an average depth of 15 feet, so approximately 3825 gallons would be needed.  The best estimate (and I don't know how old this information is) that I could find was that a gallon of rotenone goes for $50-$80 USD, so it would probably cost in the neighborhood of $400,000 CAD to do one treatment. 

Problem in that system is the creek upstream is also jammed full of them. Also good chance they would be re-stocked as they are very very popular with a certain group that frequents that lake. I like your thinking, im just not overly optimistic it would work. 

[Smitty]

5 hours ago, danhunt said:

Not to hijack the thread, but maybe we should have a go fund me campaign to purchase some rotenone for these lakes.  These are really rough numbers, but it takes about a gallon of rotenone to treat an acre foot of water, and Blood Indian is about 255 acres with an average depth of 15 feet, so approximately 3825 gallons would be needed.  The best estimate (and I don't know how old this information is) that I could find was that a gallon of rotenone goes for $50-$80 USD, so it would probably cost in the neighborhood of $400,000 CAD to do one treatment. 

No one (Ok very few) is going to donate to a campaign that proposes to poison a lake. People aren't dialed into an issue like that, and really most people wouldn't care. And, for the exact reasons Albertatrout outlined, I wouldn't donate to it either. I get the sentiment,  but these invasives aren't going anywhere soon.

[DonAndersen]

20 hours ago, Smitty said:

No one (Ok very few) is going to donate to a campaign that proposes to poison a lake. People aren't dialed into an issue like that, and really most people wouldn't care. And, for the exact reasons Albertatrout outlined, I wouldn't donate to it either. I get the sentiment,  but these invasives aren't going anywhere soon.

Smitty,

Seceral  munipalties have poisoned lakes to remove invavsives. Some near Edmonton. Even Fosheries staff did one lake near Ft. Mac. 

Lots of examples of dealing with invavsives.

it can be done. 

 

Don

[Smitty]

2 hours ago, DonAndersen said:

Smitty,

Seceral  munipalties have poisoned lakes to remove invavsives. Some near Edmonton. Even Fosheries staff did one lake near Ft. Mac. 

Lots of examples of dealing with invavsives.

it can be done. 

 

Don

You missed my point entirely. And how many of those were funded through the internet via Go Fund me or similar? Yes, municipalities have dealt with invasives, none to my knowledge were done with internet fund raising. It's all tax dollars. And they're done on a cases by case, very limited basis. And you know this obviously - you've been mentioning the perch issue for years, and very very little has been done. You disagree?