Quinte Fishing

I haven’t fished BoQ in over 10 years. The last few times I went I noticed a significant drop off in terms of the number of walleyes caught. It just wasn’t as good as it was in the mid 90s to mid 2000s. Instead I’ve been going unto outfitter camps in the upper Laurentians. It’s been over a decade that slot limits were introduced. Has that had a positive impact on the fishery? I come here periodically to see fishing reports and I’m left with the impression that the fishing has not quite rebounded to where it used to be. Is this the case? I do see some great YouTube videos of big fish being caught in the late fall. I guess these are the ones from Lake Ontario? What happens in the summer? They all go back to the big lake? Also, seems to be that you need a half a million in equipment to catch these hogs. The setups these guys have are incredible. I’m in a Bayview rental!

One last question out of curiosity. We always hear or trout being stocked in various lakes to counter over fishing. But I never hear of walleye stocking. Is that a thing? Why don’t they stock the BoQ with walleye? Wouldn’t that help?

The MNR doesn't stock fish where there is a naturally reproducing population. Stocking fish in natural environments as a detrimental effect on overall natural fish populations due to competition for food and spawning grounds. Stocked fish do not reproduce as well as natural fish and it takes many generations of stocked fish before they can naturalize. They stock walleye in some lakes but not many.
https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on. ... cale=en-CA

MNR has determined that slot sizes dont do anything here, most likely due to the majority of the walleye population dispersing out into other waters via lake ontario shortly after spawning.

We did have slot sizes at one time, but they ended it as it had no effect. Besides the population of walleye YOY is stable.

The resident fish is what you are referring to. In the late 80s early 90s it wouldnt be anything to go out and get your limit all year in the immediate Bay and larger sizes as well, so i know what you are saying. That was due to all the prey that was available to them and less invasive species. Those mostly have now gone, eg find a crayfish in the bay, they dont exist any longer. big numbers of resident fish went away as well as the smallmouth bass.

Most older fishers here can tell you that when you caught a walleye in that time frame, they were full of crayfish shells, both bass and walleye.

is what it is, but there are still lots of fish out there. They are in the same places as always, just got to find them

Interesting. Thanks. I was not aware the slot limit was removed. Good to know. They implemented them all across Quebec a few years ago. Are people still acting as though slot limits are in effect? If they catch a 30 incher are they keeping those now? One thing the slot limit did was make me appreciate how vital the larger fish are. I would not keep one that size anymore.

Last time I fished the BoQ we caught a lot of gobies. I think they are invasive. Also, the water seemed a lot clearer than it used to be. Maybe that’s caused by zebra mussels? That’s not good for walleye I don’t think.

Some places slots work great, look at Rice lake, that lake is full of walleye. I can't speak for everyone, but i only stick with < 23 or 24 " or there abouts, just for edibility. I have no use for anything larger. The larger ones caught in the winter are fun, but they ALL go back in my hut. I would hope that the larger females are all or at least almost all are released by anglers. Gobies are still in there, but walleye are gobbling them up, so not sure how bad they are, it was reported that some of the salmonid species in the lake were eating them as well barring kings which only open water feed. Zebra mussels have been really damaging, but like everything, nature always finds an opposing force, ie sheephead

There is still somewhat of a slot limit in area 20 your only allowed 1 over 63 cm (24.8 inches )

The fishing in Rice is dead. Cormorants have cleaned out the smaller fish. Catch the odd fish over the slot. its happened in the last 5 years. Hundreds of cormorants have invaded the lake.