A team of biology students and staff at Trinity Western University went out on two consecutive nights in June to capture and remove invasive fish in McMillan Lake on the campus. Final numbers aren’t in, but thousands of fish were caught.
Last year, a 20-lb carp was the biggest catch. A total of 579 fish were caught over the 2 nights. All but 10 were non-native!
McMillan Lake connects with the Salmon River during periods of high water and some invasive fish, like the large-mouth bass, feed on juvenile coho. “We are trying to restore and renew the lake to a state where it could provide habitat for over-wintering juvenile Coho salmon,” said David Clements, Ph.D., professor of Biology and Environmental Studies.