Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) has spent a lot of time examining Lesser Slave Lake over the past two years. Worries about fish populations have led to a change in sport fishing regulations.
Last year the rule was one over, two under 43 cms. This year, its just one fish over 43 cms. David Derosa is the area biologist with SRD. He explains why this regulation is necessary.
“The sport fishing regulations have been a contentious issue,” he says. “We’ve conducted angler surveys, scientific testing, commercial studies and (have) some concerns about the adult walleye densities in the lake. Throw in some drought conditions and we believe we’ve witnessed a change in the walleye, in their overall fitness and health.”
According to Derosa, low water levels and record high catch rates have reduced number of young walleye. Few young fish this year means a poor population in years to come.
“Angler catch rates (for Lesser Slave Lake) were the highest in the province in 2005,” says Derosa. “Between 2005 and 2006 the total number of fish caught by anglers doubled. In a short term scenario, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing but Slave Lake cannot maintain that regulation any longer. The number of anglers (is) increasing and the regulation is non sustainable. “We’ve think there is still a decent population in the lake but the concern is that there are too few juveniles in the water. We’ve felt that way since 1998. Younger walleye, because they were born into the drought, will not be nearly as strong as the current classes sustaining the fishery.”
SRD alerted the public last year that the rules were going to change. The new regulation was initially going to be implemented for six months but public meetings with area anglers resulted in the term being stretched to a full year.
“The recommendation from the public was to go the full year because changing the rules midway would cause confusion. Enforcement was pretty much in agreement with that notion as well.” Officially, anglers are still allowed the same number of fish as last year. The desire is to protect the waning walleye and still provide anglers with entertainment. The time of year will now dictate what is legal.
“This proposal came out of the public meeting we held in Slave Lake. It provides one fish in the summer, two fish in the winter, all over 43 cms. We timed it so the change occurs on Oct. 31 to coincide with the closure of the creeks and rivers. Some people will ask why such a drastic change. We’re worried that the majority of the adult walleye population is between 43 and 50 cms. That constitutes the strongest age classes. We can harvest some of that, but we have to work hard to protect them as well because they’re the bulk of our egg source.”
To further protect that egg source, Lesser Slave Lake is cancelling the 2007 walleye spawn camp. In the past, Slave Lake has sent walleye eggs to a hatchery in Cold Lake that in turn provided fry to lakes undergoing rehabilitation.
“We’re going to sit on things for two or three years to determine how strong the young fish are,” says Derosa. “It’s a bit of a bite right now but once we find out if these younger age classes can support a harvest, then we will re-evaluate the decision. Until then, we’re asking people to be patient for at least a couple of years.”

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