[338Bluff]

Atlas entry for. PIGEON. Note the detail of where the spawning grounds are. If I was targeting whitefish this time of year (with our early freeze)...I would start in the proximity of the little island I the SE end.

Fish

Pigeon Lake is managed for commercial, domestic and recreational fisheries. Species of fish in the lake include lake whitefish, white sucker, burbot, yellow perch, walleye, northern pike, spottail shiner, emerald shiner, trout-perch and Iowa darter (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. n.d.; Bidgood 1972). Walleye were present in commercial catches prior to 1963/64, but subsequently the population died out. They were stocked in 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983 and 1984 and a small population has become established once again (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. n.d.). Important spawning areas for lake whitefish are on boulder, rubble and sand substrate, particularly at the southeast end of the lake offshore from the Indian reserve (Bidgood 1972). Partial summerkills of yellow perch have been recorded, such as in May 1965. The cause of mortality was not determined, although both disease and temperature shock were suggested (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. n.d.).

Pigeon Lake has been fished commercially for lake whitefish since 1918. The fishery averaged 81,194 kg of fish annually between 1918 and 1939. Between 1939 and 1946, an unlimited catch was allowed, to determine the effects of over-exploitation of the whitefish population (Miller 1947; 1956). The annual harvest exceeded 181,400 kg until 1946, after which the fishery collapsed. After several seasons with restricted quotas, normal quotas were restored in 1951/52. The population apparently recovered, but following large harvests (averaging 141,515 kg annually) between 1954/55 and 1960/61, yields began to decline. A reduction in mesh size resulted in increased yields, but in the 1960s many of the lake whitefish harvested were below the minimum allowable commercial size of 0.7 kg (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. n.d.).

Between 1968 and 1972 a researcher at the University of Alberta conducted a study to identify factors causing a decrease in size-at-age of lake whitefish since 1956 (Bidgood 1972). The size of six age-classes of fish collected from Pigeon Lake were significantly lower than those of similarly collected fish from Buck Lake (30 specimens for each age class from each lake). It was concluded that growth rates of Pigeon Lake whitefish declined as their abundance increased because the populations of their main predators, northern pike and walleye, had declined. It was thought that competition for food directly affected the size-at-age of the whitefish. It was further speculated that aquatic vegetation removal by cottage owners reduced predator populations. No significant improvement in the size-at-age of lake whitefish has occurred since that time (Buchwald 1988).

Between 1968/69 and 1987/88, the average annual commercial harvests were 89,844 kg of lake whitefish, 54 kg of walleye (captured in 5 years only) and 3,463 kg of northern pike. Burbot and white suckers are a small part of the commercial catch. The yield of northern pike has increased considerably since 1974/75 and walleye have been present in the catch since 1983/84. The commercial fishery is prohibited in waters within 800 m of the lakeshore to protect northern pike, and from the northwest corner of the lake to reduce conflict with the popular winter sport fishery (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. n.d.; Buchwald 1988). The Indian domestic fishery is fairly active on Pigeon Lake. In 1987/88 there were 33 domestic licences issued, but there are no catch statistics available (Stenton 1989).

The winter recreational fishery has become very popular since the 1960s (Alta. For. Ld. Wild. n.d.). In 1972/73, 9,244 kg of lake whitefish were caught by anglers between January and April, a catch rate of 0.50 fish/angler-hour. In 1973/74, 4,940 kg were caught from December to April, a catch rate of 0.34 fish/angler-hour. Lake whitefish accounted for over 95% of the total number of fish caught. The most popular location for angling was the north end near Gilwood Beach (Kraft and Shirvell 1975).