Fisheries

Lake trout in Prince Albert National Park are an important indicator species; they are a popular angling species and an indicator of clear and pristine lakes. Lake trout are generally found in oligotrophic lakes that are characterized by deep, clear and cold waters. At this latitude, lake trout are at the southern extent of their range, making them good indicators of potential climate-induced environmental changes.

Although there are over 1500 lakes in PANP, natural lake trout populations are present only in Kingsmere, Crean, and Wassegam Lakes. Crean Lake is presently closed to lake trout fishing due to low population and recruitment estimates. Crean Lake was fished commercially for lake trout in the first half of the twentieth century, and stocks never fully recovered. The vast majority of recreational lake trout angling occurs on Kingsmere due to the degree of difficulty accessing Wassegam Lake. Therefore, the majority of lake trout management is focused on Kingsmere Lake.

Current lake trout management in Prince Albert National Park includes a moratorium on lake trout fishing on Crean Lake and managed catch limits for trout on Kingsmere and Wassegam Lakes. Anglers fishing for trout on Kingsmere and Wassegam Lakes are allowed to possess one fish per day and only keep two fish per annual fishing season. Anglers are also required to obtain and return specialized trout tags from the park visitor centre.