Langford Lake Airator

L

lunker2

New Member
I was out fishing Lanford Lake the other day and noticed that the aerator is not running. The fishing was very slow compared to other years at the same time. Has anyone noticed that the fishing has slowed down in Langford Lake since the aerator is not working? It would be a shame if they don't fix the aerator because it really seems to help the fishing.:(:confused:
 
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I believe it is not needed in the winter so they shut it off
 
Fished langford a few times in the past 3 weeks. Not even a bite. Its like a light switch. Nothing at all anymore.

-Steve
 
Thanks for the reply lipripper and fishflyguy89. I heard that the aerator broke down and Langford did not have the money to fix it. It would be a shame if that is true and the poor fishing is due to less oxygen in the lake because the aerator is not running. Langford Lake usually has great fishing, so lets hope that Lanford has just shut off the aerator for the winter. The lake provides some great sportfishing for the community!
 
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Langford Lake. and others around here. are isothermal (same temperature surface to bottom) and circulating
during our winters. Oxygen levels are sufficiently high naturally and so there is no need to utilize aerators.
Some shallow lakes subject to deep freezing also utilize aerators to keep the lake surface, at least partially,
free of ice.
 
While I haven't fished Langford, I have fished a number of aerated lakes and oxygen content is vital in winter months. Even though the majority of lakes on the island never freeze, plant die offs are a natural occurrence seasonally in all bodies of water. When this happens the plant material sinks to the lake bottom and begins decomposing releasing large levels of CO2 into the water. Instead of adding oxygen which helps in fish activity, it removes it from the water and slows fishing. If it becomes extreme and the lake freezes, CO2 levels can reach winter kill levels and wipe out some or even all of a population. Open water and wind action assists in adding oxygen back into the water, but may not be sufficient to totally counteract the decomposing process happening at the lake bottom. Fixing the aerator would be a good move.
 
Its winter, trout fishing comes to an almost standstill during these winter doldrums. Give it a month or two and it will be back on.
 
Bassblaster said:
I have fished a number of aerated lakes and oxygen content is vital in winter months.
Click to expand...
I think that's the summer months. And if I remember correctly its for weed control and oxygenation .. The cold water saturates with oxygen. We never ran the aerators int the winter with anywhere between 20-30 thousand fish in a pond at the ole farm. Its not the oxygen as much as the water temp
Takes a pretty good ice over to kill off a lake..... something Langford will never see
 
I have fished Langford lake a lot over the years and spring and fall is the best time to fish. Great for trolling a worm and gangtroll however during the winter months and even summer months the fish can be found near the bottom and the best way to get these fish to bite is to use a floating power bait 2 or 3 feet off the bottom.
 
I went out a couple of weeks ago, and got skunked.

Lipripper, after turnover in the fall (and ongoing in shallow lakes like Langford), the hypolimnion is anoxic. Last year I conducted a study of a small lake near Langford, and by April there was only about a foot of water at the surface with any oxygen to speak of. During turnover, the water is homogenized, and the oxygen can reach the bottom, but it is used up quickly after stratification due to decomposition processes mentioned already, and oxidation of sediments.
In short, the aerator is in Langford Lake for the winter months.
 
I can say I have now learnt something today...:)

I have never seen it on in the winter though...... and fished the lake quite a bit.
Why would they turn it off in the winter if it is for the winter?
We only ran the aerators in the summer at the farm as we never had a problem with the O2 during the cold. (mind you there was a small creek feeding the ponds)

Not trying to sound like a know it all........... but plz chime back in Sman
 
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So one thing that happens is that the turnover of the lake redistributes the phophorous (the limiting nutrient in lakes) and nitrogen out of the sediments. In winter though, there is not much plant life to use it and so it is not until spring when plants (algae mostly) start to use the N and P along with oxygen - algae blooms that reduce the oxygen levels. The aerator maybe could be used to help keep up oxygen levels when this is happening, instead of just boosting winter levels? I am personally not aware of why an aerator would be turned off for the winter....a quick google search for lake aerators may help shed some light on that...I'd be interested if you found any info about not aerating during the winter....
 
Wow, I have learned a lot about Langford lake and lakes in general here. I read once that lakes in the winter often have a uniform temperature and amount of oxygen throughout the water column as warm water rises to the surface, is cooled by the air and sinks back down. I always that that the aerator was turned of because of that. Regardless, the aerator is only used in the spring to fall season and wasn't used at all in 2010. I heard it needed repair but Langford could not afford the fix. A new one coming is great news.

I fished Langford 4 times in the last 3 weeks and only had one bite to show for it. Last year at roughly this time I was into double digit fish every outing.

I fished another local lake twice this week and was into double digit fish both days. No rhyme or reason to it sometimes.
 
I think the aerator was turned of as a test to see what happened to the lake if it wasn't on through the summer.
At the last Parks and Rec. meeting a member of the committee asked Jason Parks, head of Langford’s Parks Department, whether Jason had had been contacted by the Ministry of Environment about the Langford Lake aerator. Mr. Parks did acknowledge that he had received a call, and that the Provincial Ministry of Environment reportedly believed the Langford Lake aerator may not be doing anything and wanted to test this theory by turning it off for a year. A year later they would assess if they needed to buy a new aerator or not depending on the results of the test. Some committee members expressed concern and requested more information, and Monday night’s agenda has a presentation on the issue from Scott Silvestri and Peter Law from the Ministry of Environment. The name of the presentation suggests the issue has expanded to include the Glen Lake aerator. A staff report on the issue is available in the agenda package, for those who want to bring themselves up to speed on the issue before the meeting.
Click to expand...
http://insidelangford.ca/2009/11/22/langford-and-glen-lake-aerators-to-be-turned-off/
Jason Parks indicated he’s been negotiating with Environment Canada and Westhills to the effect that if Environment Canada approves Westhills having an “open loop” style geothermal system into Langford Lake, that Westhills would pay for a new aerator for Langford Lake (as Environment Canada is not sure that the current one is improving the lake’s health any longer). He didn’t lay any odds on whether the negotiations were likely to succeed, just that they’re continuing.
Click to expand...
 
Lakes DO also stratify in the winter. Water with a temp of 4 degree celsius has the highest density and therefore sinks to the bottom. Colder or warmer water sits then on top. Langford lake will have enough organic deposits which decay may cause oxygen depletion in the bottom zone during the winter. If oxygen supply is only from surface transfer then the surface near cold water is oxygen rich but the deeper waters anoxic or even anaerobic. Therefore aerators can make sense in summer and winter. Only spring and fall with the inherent temp changes and the typical wind storms will destratify a lake.
 
Getting back to the topic of catching the fish, Lunker, what depth and speed are you fishing? I ask because these can definitely effect success rates. Most people don't realize that you can catch trout at speeds of up to 3 mph, fast in most books, but it can be the thing that triggers the bite. A lot of people note this when they turn during the troll and suddenly get a strike. This is due to the lures increased speed as it sweeps around the outside of the turn. Try varying your speed and staying in the top 1/3rd of the water column next time you're out and see what happens.
 
I have to say that I am very impressed with the local knowledge of Langford Lake and the other lakes in the area. I have learned a lot from the posts and I am happy to hear that Langford Lake will be getting a new aerator. Great advice bassblaster I will try fishing in the top 1/3 of the water column and try fishing faster speeds. I use the same zig-zag trolling technique when fishing for salmon. If the inside rod on the turn consistently catches fish I will slow my troll speed down and I will speed up my trolling speed if my outside rod is catching the fish. Thanks for all of the great posts and wishing all of you a great year of fishing!!

Tight Lines,
Lunker2
 
Lunker2, the zigzag approach is a great tip - I just finally got a trolling motor, so will use this technique to adapt to the art of trolling....cheers!
 
I went there once over a month ago and spent an hour or two fishing without a sign of life on my rod or the fish finder... however I walk the dog there as well and have noticed there has been over a hundred Cormorants in the tree's and on the lake fishing there for the past two months. I would imagine a flock of a hundred ( or more) birds could do some damage over 2 months... just another thought
 
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