Assessment of the Status of the Sport Fishery for Pike at Baptiste Lake, 1999
Author(s)
B. Patterson, M. Sullivan
Summary
To recover or maintain Alberta's walleye fisheries, a new walleye management strategy
was implemented in 1996. In 1996, the walleye fishery at Baptiste Lake was classified as
vulnerable and a 50 cm (maximum total length) size limit on walleye was implemented in the
sport fishery. In order to assess the status of the walleye fishery at Baptiste Lake, a creel
survey was conducted during May to August 1999. During the 1999 survey, the number of
anglers utilizing the creel site was 1572. The number estimated number of anglers during the
survey in 1999 was 4,089. Angling pressure (angler-hours / hectare) was 14.9. This is a 25%
decrease in angling pressure from 20.1 angler-hours / ha in 1997.
The estimated harvest of legal-sized walleye was 162. The catch rate on legal-sized
walleye (>50 cm max TL) has decreased from 0.029 walleye kept / hour in 1997 to 0.011 in
1999. Since the 1997 survey, the estimated release rate on sub-legal walleye has increased
from 0.43 fish / hour to 0.70 fish / hour in 1999.
Based on the criteria used to classify walleye stocks in Alberta, the walleye fishery at
Baptiste Lake remains vulnerable.