On behalf of the PLRA Board, we extend our warmest welcome and wish you all an enjoyable and pleasant summer at Percy Lake with friends and family.

As you are no doubt aware, the weather this winter and the onset of spring, along with recent storms have been erratic and unpredictable. The photo of our bay shows ice still on the lake in early May– although the ice was gone the next day. As noted in the Haliburton Echo, the “ice out date” on Haliburton’s Head Lake on May 5 this year, broke the record set in 1956 by one day.

Last year, we witnessed record high water levels in many lakes and rivers, resulting in flooding in many communities, Minden for example. This year, spring levels were lower than 2016/2017, due to less precipitation in March. We offer no predictions for this summer, but in light of climate uncertainty and other factors, it is best to be cautious and take heed of stormy weather. Included in this Update (p.6) is a graph indicating estimated water levels and precipitation for the year 2018.

Current Matters – Updates
Lake Trout Assessment – In August 2017, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) conducted a low-mortality Lake Trout population assessment. This topic is of great interest, not only for anglers but for all of us who value the health of the Lake. Adam Chalice of the MNRF was the lead of this study and the author of the article on the assessment for the Update.

Percy Lake Dam Restoration – Parks Canada Percy Lake / Gull River Dam Repair Project: The following work site activities have either been completed or yet to be scheduled.

• Area land survey to confirm boundaries 2017 Completed
• Map an access road route 2017 Completed
• Remove trees and underbrush 2017/2018 Winter Completed
• Construct road and work area 2018 Summer-Fall
• Repair dam spill-way and side walls 2018/2019 Fall-Winter

During all phases of work, the portage trail will be open for public use. Some of the wood resulting from this work was donated to ‘Haliburton Fuel for Warmth’ program located at Abbey Gardens.

Upcoming Events – Summer 2018

1. PLRA Annual General Meeting (AGM) – 2018 Saturday August 4, 10:00AM
   The AGM is a time where questions can be raised for our elected officials, information is exchanged, and is a great social opportunity for you to get to know your neighbours and renew your annual membership! Light refreshments will be served. The AGM will be held at. Murray Fearrey, Dysart Township’s Reeve and Walt Mckechnie, Ward 5 Councillor, will be our guest speakers.The AGM will be held at 1019 Bernie’s Road (courtesy of the Thompsons). Further details will follow as we get closer to the date. Hope to see you there!
2. Angling Activities
   1. Full Season Youth Angling Contest – 16 Years and Younger
      This contest is open for the entire legal fishing season for both lake trout and bass. If you prefer to catch and release, you will need to have a witness to measure the fish length, take a photo, record the date and for entry in the contest, email the information including the anglers name and age to any director or to info@plra.net.This contest is open to Percy Lake Ratepayers’ members and their families. Trophies will be presented at the following year’s AGM. Tight lines usually means “fish on”, so young anglers, let’s see your photos and hear your fish stories.In addition, in honour of the late Richard “Dick” Graesser’s passion for fishing, his family is sponsoring a trophy for a cottager’s non-family visiting guest 16 years and younger. The same rules apply as for the full season trout and bass. This award will be presented at the following year’s AGM. It’s not too late to send in photos for last season. Forward them by June 30, 2018 to be included at this year’s AGM presentation.
   2. Fishing Tournament – Saturday August 18
      PLRA’s Catch and Release Fishing Tournament will be held from 8:00 AM to noon that day. The tournament is open to members (and family) of the PLRA. Rules for both the Youth Angling Contest and the one-day fishing tournament can be found at: http://www.plra.net/index.cfm?page=fishing_derby. Youth can enter both contests.
3. Pot Luck Social Event – Saturday August 18 4:00 PM
   We are planning on holding our annual social event on the afternoon of August 18 on the beach at the Winder family cottage, as in the past years. Stay tuned for further details on this fun-filled active day. Suggestions and volunteers are most welcome.
4. Other Activities of Interest in Haliburton
   Haliburton is an active community – many varied events are held during the summer season. The radio station, CANOE-FM, is an excellent source of information and events happening in the community.One particular historic event, for runners and walkers, is the Highland Yard.If you know of an event that may be of particular interest, please pass it on.

PLRA Membership
The annual PLRA membership fee is a modest $30 per family. These fees pay our major expenses, including membership in organizations including Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Association (CHA), the Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Associations (FOCA), and the Coalition for Equitable Water Flow (CEWF) and for expenses incurred by PLRA’s annual obligations and events. We encourage you to renew or if not a member, to join the PLRA. The membership form is included for your convenience.

PLRA Board
Our current Board members are as follows:

• Anna Tilman: President
• Brian Edey: Secretary
• Koko Yamamoto: Treasurer
• Graham Warren: Past President
• Lou Kiriakou: Live Release Bass Tournament and Newsletter Printing
• Jim Richert: Full season Fishing Contest and Lake Development
• Katherine Nanowski: Member-at-Large
• Lake Steward: Mick Tilman

Jack Russel, who has been Past-President and served as Director of the Board for many years, has recently resigned. Jack is active in many endeavors in the Haliburton region, and will continue to contribute to the Haliburton community in diverse ways. We extend our best wishes to Jack and know that his interest in the well-being of Percy Lake will no doubt continue.

Have a great time this summer, and I look forward to meeting you at our AGM and at the Pot-Luck event and of course, on the lake or thereabouts.

Best regards,
Anna Tilman, President PLRA, annatilman@sympatico.ca

Percy Lake – Lake Trout Assessment – Summer 2017
Percy Lake was identified as a candidate for the introduction of the Kingscote ‘Silver’ lake trout by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) in the early 2000’s due to its proximity to Kingscote Lake in Algonquin Park (about 10 km), the relatively simple fish community, available habitat and similar basin characteristics. This introduction was done to provide an additional self-sustaining population of the ‘Silver’ strain of lake trout as it was endemic to Kingscote Lake and there were concerns about the long-term sustainability of the Kingscote population. Stocking of the Kingscote Silvers occurred in Percy Lake between 2002 and 2013.

This past summer, MNRF, Bancroft District conducted a low-mortality Lake Trout population assessment using benthic gillnets set for 2-hour durations to assess the survivorship of the stocked Silvers and also to get a sense on whether natural reproduction of Silvers had begun. Catch rates were very good, with the vast majority of fish captured appearing to be stocked Silver strain lake trout with fin clips, a few unclipped Silver lake trout, and a few Manitou strain lake trout which had naturalized in Percy Lake following historical stockings between 1964 and 1996. Genetic confirmation of the lineage, as well as the age of each lake trout captured, is yet to be confirmed, however, survivorship of the stocked fish appears to be strong. Habitat quality including dissolved oxygen for lake trout was very good at the time of the survey in late August 2017.

Lake trout in the Haliburton area are typically small-bodied and have slow growth rates. Percy Lake is no exception. To give a sense of the slow growth rates of Silvers in Percy, a mature female Silver that was caught had a left pectoral clip with a fork length of 374mm. We know that this fish was stocked in the Spring of 2010 as a yearling (over 1 year old) as that was the only year with a left pectoral clip that was stocked into Percy. That means this fish was 8.5 years old at 374mm (14.72 inches) when caught in late August 2017. Recognizing the slow growth and maturity rates of Percy Lake’s Silver lake trout and the low number of unclipped Silvers, it is still early days to see any natural reproduction of Silvers in Percy Lake. This highlights the vulnerability of lake trout and our collective responsibility to conserve them.

Dedicated lake trout anglers are encouraged to complete angler diaries of the fishing efforts on Percy Lake or any Haliburton trout lakes. As indicated on the diary form (refer to link below), public input is crucial to the development of sound District fisheries programs.
Adam Challice, adam.challice@ontario.ca
Management Biologist in the Minden Field Office, Bancroft District MNRF

Here is the link for the 2018 fishing regulations for the zone FMZ 15 which includes Percy Lake

Manitou strain (top) and the Kingscote Silver strain (bottom)

Manitou strain (caught at Percy Lake)