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[Speyfitter]

Yes, this topic HAS been discussed, almost beat to death in the past. The facts are though that Lake trout were stocked in the Alouette 3 times in the distant past (twice in the late 60's, once in the early 90's if memory serves - feel free to post exact dates and numbers if you have them). Anyways, I have talked to several people who have seen pictures of them or know people who have caught them. I also know someone in the FFSBC who has netted them out of the lake relatively recently, and they are still in there. I would assume since char live a long time that some may be from these original stockings, but there also must be SOME reproduction going on although how successfully we will never know.  In 2008 while trolling with my down riggers at the narrows I myself did catch a 8-9 pound Dolly/Bull Trout in about 25 feet of water or so in this lake.  I haven't tried too hard, however, nor did I fish deep, for Lakers. IN July of 2011 I did catch & release about 5-6 Lake Trout out of Shuswap Lake with donwirggers/spoons. They were decent size - most in the 5 pound range and one close to 10 pounds. They tend to pull relatively hard- dogging you a bit as you drag them up from the depths and then slashing a bit at the boat before you net them. Not sure what they are like to eat but most char tend to be good eating in general. But the fact remains that they do provide good sport and Alouette is an excellent lake. Good launch, good parking, close to Vancouver, and if the goal of the FFSBC is to get people fishing to help feed their cause, so to speak, then I think a program aimed at stocking Lakers into the Alouette wouldn't be under utilized. Especially by the off season down rigger/trolling crowd.  I have heard that they are trying to get people to pay attention to some underutilized lakes & fisheries - how about enhancing a good local lake that has much under utilized real estate, from a fishing stand point?

My question to you is if you knew where were reasonable numbers of Lake Trout in Alouette Lake right now (aka you could almost guarantee a couple fish each outing), and you had a boat (obviously), and it was say off season (not much running or pickens were slim for other fisheries which is often the case between salmon season and the start of interior lake fishing with the excepti0n of some steelhead & cutthroat fishing, etc.) would you go take your boat out and go fish for them? 

[Speyfitter]

Wow - almost 150 views and not one person owns a boat and/or has fished the Alouette (or aspires to do so?) Tough sub!

[Nucks]

OK, I'll bite.

Lakers are not sought after, don't fight very well, and taste like a well seasoned white spring. From what I hear, only the smaller lakers in the 3-6 lb range are decent to eat.

But to answer your question, yes, I would occasionally fish for them, maybe once every five years. Where I live they are in abundance, and I've only been out fishing for them once. I caught a 16lber on my first day, filleted it up, cooked a piece and gave the rest away to someone else that would enjoy it more than me.

Having said this, I think they would be very good done up as fish and chips.

I'm really unsure of your hypothetical question though as I seriously doubt that lakers will ever be in "reasonable" numbers in the Alouette. The typical feed in that lake isn't that great for the youngins but from what I hear, once they hit that 6lb mark they switch from being a bug eater to a meat eater and start chasing after other fish. So when they reach a large enough size, they could start chowing on kokanee I guess.

As you say, if you could "guarantee a couple of fish each outing", then yes, people would fish it regularly and would then proceed to wipe out the population as mankind has generally done. When fish are in decent enough numbers, people will flock to them regardless of what species you're talking about.

[Speyfitter]

There are LOTS of fisheries that are sustained by the work done by the FFSBC aka hatchery stockings whether they be by fry or catchable sized fish. If there was a regular (every year to 2 years) of Lake Trout into the Alouette, perhaps a regular fishery could be sustained.
Right now the introductions haven't been regular enough to know.

What makes you think Lakers are not sought after? How about the thousands of Anglers accross Canada who go after them? Imagine you could go out for Kokanee in the Spring on the Alouette, something many anglers on these very discussion boards do, and then switch it up for Lakers as an alternative fishery for some larger fish?

[Nucks]

We're talking locally not across Canada. How often do you see reports of people chasing lakers on this forum? Let's be honest here, lakers are way down on the depth chart.

[StillAqua]

There are LOTS of fisheries that are sustained by the work done by the FFSBC aka hatchery stockings whether they be by fry or catchable sized fish. If there was a regular (every year to 2 years) of Lake Trout into the Alouette, perhaps a regular fishery could be sustained.
Right now the introductions haven't been regular enough to know.

It's not really about introducing more fish, more frequently......it's a foodchain issue.......the reservoir isn't productive enough to sustain much of a fishery for anything other than plankton-feeding Kokanee, let alone fish eaters like large Lake char. BC Hydro fertilized the reservoir for the Kokanee for many years and may still do doing it.

[Speyfitter]

We're talking locally not across Canada. How often do you see reports of people chasing lakers on this forum? Let's be honest here, lakers are way down on the depth chart.

You're right - I think this forum is the problem. Every BC fishing forum seems to have it's own flavour and this one IS heavily river oriented. My bad.

Alouette lake DOES provide a fishery for Kokanee, that last I checked it was fertilized. Those Kokanee aren't always 10-14 inches like we anglers seem to think of them as. They are a bait fish, that, in many interior lakes where Kokanee are present, are preyed upon by
various trout & char species, such as Lake Trout/Char. I had a good time trolling for them on Shuswap last Summer. It's always cool watching the finder go off, then adjusting your gear to a respective depth and then if all goes well watching your rod go off on the down rigger. 

PLease correct me if I'm wrong but the FFSBC is a business in some way or another. Creating fisheries and interesting anglers is part of their mandate to support their cause is it not? Because with no anglers, there is no FFSBC right? They produce videos (youtube) that highlight fisheries on various bodies of water to help people get out fishing. Fishing buys licenses, and helps the economy. IF such a fishery could be created on the Alouette (no one has since tried something of this magnitude) it WOULD certainly create angler interest for such a local lake. 

[Nucks]

I didn't say this forum was the problem, not sure where you got that one from. You're putting words in my mouth. I do think that this forum is a good litmus test though. There is already a decent laker fishery in some parts of this Province but you hardly ever hear anything about them. That tells me they are not well sought after.

That's it, nothing more, nothing less.