Bringing Lake Trout Home
Although a preferred species among many anglers, only 1% of Ontario lakes support Lake Trout. Nepahwin Lake had a self-sustaining population prior to the 1980s, which then seemed to disappear from recent fish surveys, despite restocking attempts up to the early 1990’s. Lake Trout are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of human activities, enrichment from nutrients, acidification, species introductions, and habitat destruction.
Things changed on February 6, 2022, at 09:00 when Andrew Shea had a watershed moment. He landed a 3.4 kg, 80 cm mature female Lake Trout and took it to Living with Lakes to confirm its identity. He landed this beauty solely to help verify the burning question amongst fish biologists as to whether Nepahwin Lake can still support Lake Trout. Andrew caught another whopper in January 2026 and released it to help in the hopeful recovery of this species to the lake. For more background on why there was a ‘Call-Out’ to solve the Nepahwin Lake Trout mystery, click below;
Andrew and his beautiful Lake Trout gave the Nepahwin Lake Watershed Stewardship Group (NLWSG) the inspiration to collectively steward Nepahwin Lake from its present urbanized state to the healthy lake it once was. The NLWSG presented a proposal to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests to restart stocking Nepahwin Lake with Lake Trout, rather than Splake (which has been the fish stocked in Nepahwin the last few decades). The MNRF assessed Nepahwin’s current state and gave the green light for biennial stocking of yearlings.
NLWSG has organized the following LAKE TROUT RELEASES:
April 24, 2025: ~1000 Lake Trout released by ~60 LoEllen Park (LEP) students at the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club (IGCC), a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program Golf Course. Student Audrey Seaton captured the spirit of the event. “Today’s lake trout release is a symbol of our community’s commitment to protecting the beautiful lakes of Sudbury, so that we can keep our aquatic ecosystem healthy. What is Sudbury without its lakes?” she said. Also participating in the event were Councillor Deb McIntosh (Ward 9), Dr John Gunn and Dr Elizabeth Favot, assistant professor with the School of Natural Sciences, Laurentian University and Jay Sisko, IGCC Golf Course Superintendent.
NLWSG thanks our partners that have helped make these events happen: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, City of Greater Sudbury, Junction Creek Stewardship Committee, Laurentian University Environmental Sustainability Committee and Vale Living with Lakes. And a big call out to the RL Beattie and LEP teachers and students who caringly released the fish from their buckets into ~5 C water.
