As a part of the study, 80 cutthroat trout have been tagged with brightly coloured Floy T-bar anchor tags and released back into the lake.

Out of these tagged cutthroat trout, 42 fish have been implanted with acoustic tags. Acoustic tag receivers installed in Cowichan Lake will allow researchers to track individual fish.

“Studies like this are a valuable component of ensuring our province has a healthy trout population now and in the future,” said Doug Donaldson, minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “I encourage anglers to participate in helping our fisheries staff evaluate the survival and movement patterns of cutthroat trout.”

A similar study, which began last year, is ongoing in Horne Lake and will continue until April 2021. Almost 200 cutthroat trout have been tagged with the Floy anchor tags and released back into Horne Lake.