Trout Lake is a lake in the municipalities of East Ferris and North Bay, Nipissing District, NortheasternOntario, Canada.[1] It lies approximately 6km (3.7mi) east of the much larger Lake Nipissing, with the city of North Bay in between them. Trout Lake is the source of the Mattawa River and a significant body of water on a well-known historic North American voyageur (fur-trading) route. It is about 11km (6.8mi) long and 4km (2.5mi) wide and exits eastward into the Mattawa River, which flows via the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence River.[2] Some of the most difficult portages are found on this part of the voyageur route between Trout Lake and the end of the Mattawa River, e.g., Portage de Mauvaise Musique, located at the Talon Chute (named after Jean Talon, the first Intendant of New France[3]).
Due to the short overland distance to Lake Nipissing, Trout Lake became a natural way point for voyageurs en route to and from Mattawa.[4]
A train derailment in 1967 resulted in a significant spill of zinc and lead, which ended up wiping out the lake's population of landlocked Atlantic salmon.[5]
Ecology and fishing
In 1935, Atlantic salmon were first introduced into the lake and only spawned in Four Mile Creek which, in 1958, was made a fish sanctuary. On 7 March 1967, a train operated by the Ontario Northland Railroad and carrying a load of zinc and lead derailed near Four Mile Creek. The high concentration of zinc in Four Mile Creek wiped out the spawning grounds and caused the salmon to die out.[5]
After repeated attempts at cleaning Four Mile Creek salmon were reintroduced starting in 1989 with 10,000 fingerlings.[5][6] Surveys from 1991 and 1992, along with estimates and catches between 1991 and 1995 indicated that the salmon were making a recovery.[7] During the 1991 survey another 25 fish species were recorded in Four Mile Creek including largemouth bass, northern pike, and Rainbow trout.[8]
The City of North Bay (population 52,662 as of the 2021 census[9]) draws its drinking water from Trout Lake. While the urban core of North Bay is located primarily between Trout Lake and Lake Nipissing, the city limits contain the lake's entire northern shore. Much of the lake's southern shore is located within the township of East Ferris.
Beaches and recreation
The City of North Bay maintains two lifeguard-staffed swimming beaches on the western shores of the lake.[4]
1 2 3 "All About Trout Lake, ON". LakeLubbers.com. Retrieved 23 September 2023. This smaller lake provides the water supply for North Bay, and over 600 cottages and year-round homes enjoy its 32-mile shoreline.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
