Big Rideau Lake is one of the few lakes in Eastern Ontario deep enough to support a Lake Trout population. There is a concern that the this population is declining, but there is no statistical information to support that theory. Telemetry studies will allow researchers from the Fisheries Conservation Foundation (FCF) to track the movement of Lake Trout, identify their nesting areas, and determine if any programs can be implemented to assist the growth of the Lake Trout population.
With the help of Big Rideau Lake Volunteers, FCF will insert transmitters into Lake Trout. Transmitters tell us where the fish are (in terms of depth and distribution in the lake). The FCF will provide 15-20 receivers from their inventory at no charge and they will be installed in Big Rideau Lake in 2025. Receivers will be in place in 2025; a limited number of Lake Trout will be tagged in 2025 to verify receiver locations. In 2026, a much larger sampling of Lake Trout will be tagged. FCF will provide ongoing reports on a yearly basis of the results of the telemetry study.
Lake trout tagged in different parts of the lake will be studied for the extent to which they behave as a single population (or multiple populations), their seasonal distribution (depth and places in the lake), and key habitats used for spawning.
RLEF partners with the Fisheries Conservation Foundation in this study. They provide receivers to track the fish; RLEF supports student stipends and transmitter costs, and our contribution is significantly leveraged by NSERC. Local volunteers, including members of the Big Rideau Lake Association, will assist with fish capture for tagging.
Hopefully this Lake Trout telemetry study will provide similar information to the Bass Telemetry studies completed in Big Rideau Lake in 2020/2021. Those have led to the Bass Spawning Sanctuary Programs.
The goal is to develop programs to help increase the lake trout population in Big Rideau Lake in years to come.