Six lakes in the area were stocked with either fingerlings, fry or yearlings this year by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C., part of more than 800 lakes and rivers the society stocks each year throughout the province.
Barrett Lake received 2,500 rainbow trout fingerlings, Dunalter Lake received 1,800 kokanee fry and 1,000 rainbow trout fingerlings, Vallee Lake received 2,000 rainbow trout fingerlings, Lu Lake 2,000 rainbow trout yearlings, Helen Lake 2,000 rainbow trout yearlings and Klinger Lake two types of fish, 4,000 eastern brook trout fingerlings and 1,000 rainbow trout fingerlings.
Decisions on quantity and type are reached in consultation with provincial fisheries managers.
With the exception of Lu Lake, the other five were also stocked last year and in previous years.
The society has been restocking lakes and rivers since 2003 but was able to increase its activity level in 2015 when it began receiving all of the revenue from the sale of provincial fishing licences.
The society says its goal is to provide the best freshwater fisheries in North America.
In reaching toward that goal it notes “more than 300,000 licensed anglers spend about $500 million in B.C. with much of the economic activity taking place in rural areas. About 50 per cent of all angling activity takes place on the over 800 lakes and streams we stock.”
It does remind anglers that that the juvenile fry, fingerlings and yearlings it releases each year aren’t of a catchable size for at least a year or more after release.
The society owns and operates six hatcheries in Duncan on Vancouver Island, Abbotsford, Summerland, Clearwater, Fort Steele east of Cranbrook in the Kootenays and Vanderhoof.
It additionally has nine egg collection stations around the province and a trout distribution centre in Prince George.