April 16, 2026
Update from Dr. Dave Philipp
I have been monitoring the ice on Lake Opinicon via the QUBS Canopy Cam and it looks like the ice may be all gone there today/tomorrow…to be confirmed by residents on the lake.
That means the clock will be soon be starting its move toward the beginning of bass spawning!
So want to mention two things:
(1) An update re the Bass Spawning Sanctuary Project: The formal proposal to the MNR to expand our two year/two lake (Opinicon and Charleston) Proof of Concept study into larger, longer research study to look at the impact of BaSSs on the local bass populations was not approved to start this spring (2026), and has not yet been approved for 2027…although Steve Cooke and I have been working very hard to push that through, including meetings and presentations with MNR and OFAH. John McDowell (URLA) and Hansen Downer (BRLA) have recently starting pushing the MNR as well by submitting letters of support and by getting the Mayor/Reeves of the three townships to do the same. Steve and I remain optimistic that the proposal will be approved for public comment then implemented in time for the 2027 Regulations manual to be printed with that information. If things stall, however, we may ask for a second round of support letters from you all…more on that later as things develop.
(2) The fact that we have a second (replicate) year to collect baseline data for the metrics that we hope to positively impact with the BaSSs (e.g., reproductive success, annual recruitment, population size structure, age at maturation, aggression level vs brood predators and catchability by fishing lures), is actually a very good thing from the scientific rigor standpoint.
That means that we will be vising all of the study lakes again, some in more detail than others, depending on how extensive/successful we were last year at collecting data (the snorkel surveys to assess nesting male density, size, hook wounds, the standardized 15 casts, plus collection of scales and dorsal spines for aging.
Once we have a good idea of when the spawning season will arrive (when H2O temps get to be about 12-14C), we will be contacting you re the timing for a visit to your lake…and work out a plan with you all. There are LOTS of lakes and likely little appropriate time (4-5weeks) for that background data collection to happen. In some cases we will, provide all boats and personnel, for others it would be great again to have your assistance – we can work out things independently for each lake. Because there are so many lakes to sample (and some may take two trips), we will likely send multiple teams to different lakes. The logistics for getting this all done this summer will be…tricky is probably a good description…good weather would really help. We can’t really do some things when windy/rainy out.
The full list of study lakes consists of the following 24 lakes – in what I am predicting is the likely order that spawning will start in each lake (earliest at the top, latest at the bottom) – and I bet the first nests with eggs will show up in Deadlock Bay, Opinicon on May 10 (Mother’s Day)…so first lake swims would then start about 5/13. I also bet that the first spawning in the latest lakes (Bob’s, Upper/Big Rideau) happens around May 28 (Memorial Day), but that males will be still on eggs larvae in nests in those later lakes until June 8. That gives us a window for our baseline data collection work of 27 days minus XX crappy weather days – a total of ?? days…and some lakes will take >1 day, and swimmers get sick/hurt, and boats/motors fail…hence, our potential concerns. All that is to say that we ask you all for flexibility and patience as we assemble a tentative schedule, and then have to change things around.
Lake:
- Opinicon Original BaSS Proof of Concept Lake
- Troy New Beta Test Group
- Long Historical Control – no fishing
- Whitefish New Beta Test Group
- Benson/Mosquito/Loon New Beta Test Group
- Bennett New Control – Public
- Little Silver New Beta Test Group
- Dog/Cranberry New Beta Test Group
- Millers Historical Control – no fishing
- Sand New Beta Test Group
- Newboro New Beta Test Group
- Loughborough New Control – Public
- Lower Rideau New Beta Test Group
- Indian/Clear New Beta Test Group
- Wolfe New Beta Test Group
- Otter New Beta Test Group
- Buck New Control – Public
- Devil New Beta Test Group
- Otty New Beta Test Group
- Charleston Original BaSS Proof of Concept Lake
- Bass New Beta Test Group
- Upper Rideau New Beta Test Group
- Bob’s New Control – Public
- Big Rideau New Beta Test Group
All I can say is YIKES – I am going to hit the gym!!!
See you all soon!
Dave
For more information See: Bass Spawning Study