2025 Wollaston Lake Lake Trout Project
Wollaston Lake, a beautiful body of water located near the hamlet of Coe Hill, has one of Ontario’s last naturally reproducing populations of lake trout.
In an effort to support the population stability of this sensitive species, Watersheds Canada’s Fish Habitat team delivered a spawning bed washing project on the lake. This project was delivered on September 10th, 2025, in partnership with Wollaston Lake Home & Cottage Association, North Hastings Community Fish Hatchery, and Bancroft Area Stewardship Council.
The same bed restored in this project is also used by the local walleye population. Lake trout spawn in it in the fall, while walleye occupy it in the spring. This deepens the impact of this project even further, and creates positive benefits not only for the fish species on the lake but for the ecosystem-wide population stability that is maintained by them.
The process of spawning bed restoration projects, which is developed through research, consultation with professionals, and years of trials, involves first using brushes to dislodge algae and silt. The debris is then swept from the area using a high-powered water pump and caught in a silt curtain to be disposed of elsewhere. Next, 3.5 tonnes of locally-sourced washed river rock were added by bucket following the washing to build up an even more ideal bed for laying eggs and spawning in pockets that receive enough oxygenation.
Funding for this project was generously provided by iA Financial, Bancroft Area Stewardship Council, Safari Club International – Ottawa Valley Chapter, OFAH Community Conservation Fund, and Wollaston Lake Home and Cottage Association. All Watersheds Canada fish habitat projects are completed with applicable permits and approval by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
In partnership with grassroots organizations and local volunteers, Watersheds Canada has completed many fish habitat restoration projects across Eastern and Central Ontario over the past decade, including walleye spawning bed enhancements, cold-water creek enhancements, lake trout spawning bed enhancements, and in-water habitat enhancements through the deployment of brush piles (woody debris). If you think your Ontario waterfront community could benefit from a fish habitat enhancement project, please check out the free Fish Habitat Enhancement Toolkit: Watersheds.ca/download-the-fish-habitat-enhancement-toolkit/
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