Corstorphine Lake

NOTICE: The entire aeration system at Corstorphine Lake was replaced this season and is online. Restocking with 15 to 16 cm Rainbow trout occurred in May 2016. These fish should weigh over 1 pound today and 2 pounds plus next year.

GPS Coordinates:

50º 36.981″ W

100º 12.324″ W

Area:

152 acres

About Corstorphine Lake:

Also known as “fatty fish lake” by the local ice fisherman; a glance at these photos explains this nickname.

Corstorphine underwent the same 2 year evaluation program as do all FLIPPR Lakes. From 2000 to 2003 the water was crystalline in visibility but took up a chocolate coloured stain when the aeration unit was first started until 2011.

This lake has always been a weedy, fertile waterbody with a tremendous forage base consisting mainly of gammarus scuds – unbelievable numbers of scuds. Other food sources are damsel fly nymphs, caddis flies, and stickleback minnows.

Corstorphine was originally stocked in 2007 as a combination species lake – tiger trout and rainbow trout. Manitoba Fisheries Branch staff wanted to see how the two species would respond in this setting. The aeration system failed during the winter of 2008-2009 and the lake winter-killed.

The lake was restocked in 2009 with rainbow fingerlings, as well as some triploid rainbows. This stocking took hold and fish in excess of 26 inches were taken. Tiger trout were not restocked – they didn’t compete well with rainbows. We also believe that tigers do not withstand heat stress in the shallow waterbody during our occasionally hot summers.

There are no inlet or outlet streams at Corstorphine – the lake is fed by overland runoff and springs. The Parkland Region was subject to record precipitation; both rain and snowfall, starting in 2011 and culminated in a 4″ rainfall in September 2014. The lake level rose nearly 6 feet and flooded the aeration building. The electric motor and blower assembly were nestled in 18 inches of water.

The aeration shed was replaced on higher ground during the summer of 2015, but FLIPPER and the Municipality of Harrison Park were unable to replace the motor blower assembly until the summer of 2016. Oxygen readings were taken throughout both winters; oxygen levels were sufficient to maintain fish populations without aeration.

The lake has some parking, a launch site and washroom facilities.

Maps:

Driving Directions from Sandy Lake:

 PDF Map Download

Region:

Eastern Parkland

Contributors:

FLIPPR, Municipality of Harrison Park, Manitoba Fisheries

Regulations:

No natural bait and no motors, with the exception of electric motors, may be used.
Trout limit is one and all trout over 45 cm must be released

Location:

Some parking lot and launch upgrades were completed in 2015.
Note: There is no access to the aerator building - Do not plan to launch there!