Gord Sedgewick, biologist for Saskatchewan Environment provided attendees at the Turtle Lake Watershed Inc. annual general meeting with an interesting and current presentation about the status of the fishery in Turtle Lake.
After setting 11 gillnets and three trap nets in the lake in early July, Sedgewick reported his team caught 1,473 fish of which 53 per cent were walleye and nine per cent were Northern Pike.
"Turtle Lake can now be called a predominantly walleye fishery and the walleye are of all ages and sizes with many ranging from five to eight pounds," reported Sedgewick.
He went on to report that "they are very healthy with lots of fat on them."
When asked if he knew if walleye were reproducing naturally in Turtle Lake, Sedgewick said he had not completed the research to determine that.
Walleye have been stocked annually in Turtle Lake, since the early 1990s and it appears those efforts are paying off. Saskatchewan Environment places 500,000 walleye fry in Turtle Lake every spring, however none were stocked this year.
The ministry plans to stock one million walleye fry in Turtle Lake every other year.
