Patterson Lake

As I headed north from Oakburn on Provincial road #577, I couldn't help but wonder if I was going to find the lake I was looking for. A couple of days earlier while talking to fisheries biologist Ken Kansas he assured me that I couldn't miss the lake. After about 6 kilometres of gravel road, I came over a rise in a hill and there it was, Patterson Lake, tucked down in a valley, surrounded by poplar, aspen and willows. As we pulled into a mini parking lot my son, who was along for the ride, and myself were greeted by a sign that proudly announced that this lake had been rehabilitated to produce trophy trout. Next to that sign was a building that was home to some of the aeration equipment needed to keep the lake alive during our long Manitoba winters.

As we jumped out of the truck we could see Ken Kansas floating around on the lake, fly rod in hand enjoying something that doesn't happen that often on the prairies, a flat calm day. "Already caught a big fat brown!' he yelled as we started to unpack the float tubes. Not that I needed any more urging, I just couldn't get the air in my v-float fast enough. Soon though I was out on the lake beside Ken, my son deciding to stay on shore to check out the animal tracks that were evident everywhere along the shoreline.

As we floated along the east shoreline of Patterson, Ken related to me that one of the American fly fishers that had visited the lake last week had caught and released 17 trout in his visit averaging 50 centimetres in length. Ken said the fish had been caught along the weedlines using what he calls the "Parkland four pack". That means a collection of flies that represent the forage available to these fish; minnows, backswimmers, scuds and leeches.

While Ken was using something called a "Psychedelic p-quad, I went with a Parkland favourite, called the "Blue Ellis".

Ken took a little deeper water next to the first drop off in the lake, while I flogged my fly in amongst the pencil reeds. It wasn't ten minutes I had my first take, a viscous strike but a miss. A short time later, I landed my fly right next to a stalk. Thinking I was snagged I lifted my rod tip to feel life on the other end. A rainbow trout surged out of the shallows, swinging my float tube around as Ken started to come back towards me with the only net we had between the two of us. After a brief but energetic battle, Ken netted and released a 33 centimetre rainbow, part of last years stocking effort.

Officially opened in October 2002 this lake has turned into a huge success story. Kansas says it highlights what can be done when individuals and organizations work together. For years anglers from all over North America have been visiting stocked trout water in the region but in recent times some of the lakes have been hit hard by winter kill and perch/pike infestations. In order to help the fishery, people like Kansas, Bob Sheedy and Free Press hunting columnist Robert Sopuck got together and formed an organization called FLIPPR. (Fisheries Lake Improvement for the Parkland Region)

Kansas says FLIPPR does not stock fish, that is left to his department. Rather, new lakes are sought, mapped and evaluated for suitability for stocking. Structure, riparian, benthic, forage base and water quality issues are examined, made into computerized form and forwarded to Manitoba Water Stewardship who utilizes the information and that of other sources to make more informed decisions regarding test stocking and development of new and existing waters. In the case of Patterson Lake, historical files showed that at one time the lake had a northern pike population and some marginal winter oxygen levels. It was designated for a primary lake survey as part of Phase Two. After going through the ten point criteria it was determined that further tests should be done. These included additional oxygen profiles, which concluded that winter aeration would be needed.

After meeting with the R.M of Rossburn, an aeration plan was developed with the R.M assuming ownership and liability for the system. Meantime a lake management strategy was developed that detailed that a combination of rainbow and brown trout would be stocked on an annual basis of 100 fish per acre. Also implemented were a one fish limit, artificial lures only and no gas powered motors in order to maintain the quality of the fishery.

FLIPPR continues to monitor the project and provide input for further use.

Funding for FLIPPR operations comes from various sources, but primarily, when regarding capital expenditures, from governmental and heritage sources. In the case of Patterson Lake the Towns of Rossburn and Oakburn along with the R.M and the Oakburn Game and fish group got involved as well. Another jewel on the prairie and another tremendous trout fishery for the Parkland region.

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