Today’s post comes from year-round multispecies angler and writer Ashley Rae of SheLovesToFish.com.
Since moving to Ottawa nearly four years ago, the Rideau River has become one of my favourite fishing playgrounds as it offers such a great variety of species to chase. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed targeting Large-mouth Bass, Walleye, Muskie, Northern Pike, Common Carp, and Black Crappie….just to name a few!
Neys Provincial Park recently removed an obsolete weir as part of its work to restore and maintain ecological integrity. Superintendent Allison Dennis has the story…
The term “weir” piqued my curiosity following my first review of the Neys Provincial Park Management Plan.
Turns out that a weir is a barrier constructed across the width of a river or stream which raises the water level on the upstream side to a specified height. Unlike a dam, which redirects excess water using spillways, a weir allows excess water to flow over the top of the structure and continue downstream.
So what does this have to do with a provincial park?
If you like to fish and want to improve your chances of getting a good catch, your best bet is to head to one of Ontario’s 2,000 lakes and rivers that are stocked by Ontario Parks or the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry.
The ministry has been stocking popular spots since the early 1950s with fish that are well suited to the area. Today, we operate nine fish culture stations, or hatcheries, across the province, where 12 popular sport fish (including walleye, salmon, trout and muskie) are raised.
Every year, we release about 8 million fish into Ontario waters!
