INNISFAIL – The second annual release of 330 rainbow trout into Innisfail’s Dodd’s Lake is complete with news that some of last year’s stock survived the winter - giving lake stewards optimism its ecological integrity is in “great shape.”
This year’s release of the rainbow trout, which joined the lake’s evasive but angling-popular Prussian carp, was held on a sunny but chilly morning on May 21 and attracted an excited crowd to the south end of the lake near the boat launch.
“It’s great to see the Innisfail Lions Club do this for the community, and nice to see the turnout. People seem to be very excited about it,” said mayor Jean Barclay, who was at the May 21 trout release with councillors Don Harrison, Jason Heistad and Gavin Bates.
Barclay added she’s happy to hear the lake received an excellent report card on its ecological health.
“When the trout went in last year no one knew what was going to happen, if there would be a lot of winter kill or not,” said the mayor. “It’s good to know we haven’t seen that, and people are fishing out 12 to 14-inch trout.”
Last year’s inaugural trout release was made amidst concerns Dodd’s Lake might be too shallow without enough oxygen for the fish to survive the winter.
However, members of the Innisfail Lions Club and Innisfail Fish and Game Association, who partnered in the rainbow trout stocking program, were elated with the results of a year-long study, and proof that some of last year’s trout stock survived from 2021.
“The proof is in the pudding. The fish survived the winter. They (anglers) were catching trout this spring, and decent sized ones. There’s plenty of food, plenty of oxygen. I think the lake is in great shape,” said Bob Leney, president of the Innisfail Fish and Game Association.
Tom Reinhart, a Lions club member, said the study targeted the lake’s health and water quality and it showed there was no significant contamination. It was also found the lake’s oxygen level decreased significantly in winter, which is normally not conducive for wintering trout.
However, Reinhart said the lake, which covers an area of 4.9 acres, will be charted this summer for its depth, which has long been estimated but never confirmed.
“If it has deepness then it has oxygen in those areas,” he said, adding there are many different guesses on the lake’s depth.
“It depends on who you talk to," he said. "The people who are in favour of this (fish stocking), the lake is deep and the people who are against, the lake is shallow.”
Reinhart also confirmed there were 14-inch rainbow trout taken out of Dodd’s Lake earlier this spring, and there was little or no winter kill noticed. He added there was “probably” some winter kill but the lake will absorb those cases.
“That’s why we’re only putting in a small number,” said Reinhart, acknowledging 500 rainbow trout were approved this year by a provincial government biologist and town council. “There’s no point in putting in thousands of them and have them all die.”
“We had to order them before we knew the result this spring. We didn’t know what we would find for winter kill,” he added. “If we found a lot, we didn’t want to risk big numbers right away.”
Reinhart said with all the good news there’s a “good chance” the numbers for next year’s trout release will increase.
In the meantime, the town also ensured measures were taken at Dodd’s Lake to mitigate congestion issues, which appeared last year following reduced COVID-19 restrictions and the lake’s newfound popularity with anglers wanting to catch the plentiful Prussian carp.
Barclay said she was also pleased to see the proactive work town administration has made to mitigate the lake’s new congestion issues.
This included new signs up near the boat launch to address fishing and parking, as well as a new and large waste container, and portable toilet. Community peace officer Allan Howes also attended the rainbow trout release.
Administration is still waiting for a decision from the federal government on a $750,000 grant application, which would be used to start Phase 1 of the Dodd's Lake Enhancement Project, that would include a new parking lot in the boat launch area with up to 32 stalls.
“I know administration certainly has this on their radar screen, and trying to make things little more user-friendly down here. We will see how it evolves over the next couple of months,” said Barclay. “I think it’s better than it was.”
Harrison, who lives close to Dodd’s Lake and has been outspoken about its congestion issues, added the town is also looking at putting in other parking measures throughout the summer.
“I am really confident things are going to start to unfold at the lake to get it a little bit more organized,” he said.
