ST. PAUL - The St. Paul Fish and Game Association installed an aerator to the St. Paul Trout Pond on Oct. 27. The aerator was installed to provide suitable fish habitat throughout the winter.
The pond has been stocked with Rainbow Trout annually by the Alberta Government. In 2022 the pond was stocked with a total of 2,400 Rainbow trout, 300 Tiger trout and 400 Brown trout.
In the fall of 2019, an aerator was initially installed by the St. Paul Fish and Game Association and the Town of St. Paul. The results indicated much improved dissolved oxygen levels and a suitable winter fish habitat.
The St. Paul Fish and Game Association is supporting the “Citizen Science” approach to monitoring several of Alberta’s lakes in an attempt to restore the fish habitat in the lakes and ponds in NE and Central Alberta that may no longer have suitable fish habitats. The aerator is one such useful tool to create improved fish habitats.
Jackfish Lake near Myrnam also has an aerator that is managed by the County of Two Hills. The St. Paul Fish and Game Club is also working on a project that will aerate Lac Delorme (George’s Lake), located southeast of St. Paul.
Thank you to the Town of St. Paul and the St. Paul Fish and Game Association volunteers for installing the aerator and for monitoring the pond. The aerator will be removed in the spring after the ice breaks up.
Fishing in the open water may continue until freeze-up. Be sure to stay away from the open water that will remain throughout the winter. A fence will be installed on the ice to keep people away from the open water and thin ice. Expect some good fishing in the early spring.
