There are other species of flora and fauna indigenous to Golden Lake and the Bonnechere River, which are still of concern to the residents of the area.
Rainbow Smelt
While not an invasive species in Golden Lake, the Rainbow Smelt are nevertheless a species of concern. For more complete information about this fish, click here.
Each spring, the Rainbow Smelt “run”, which means they traverse the creeks and rivers entering the lake, in great numbers. It is the ideal time to harvest them, as they can be netted and removed from the lake. Click here for more information.
Cormorants
Golden Lake is one of many lakes in Ontario that have seen an increase in the number of nesting cormorants over the past few years. These birds are not really an invasive species in the normal sense because they are indigenous to our region. However, toxic contamination in the lakes caused egg shell thinning and just about eliminated the birds from the province. In some ways the return of the cormorant is a sign of improved water quality.
However, the populations have increased so fast that their status as an endangered species has being challenged. The Ontario government has authorized hunting of the cormorant starting in 2020. For more information about the rules and regulations governing the hunt, click here.
Here is some background information on cormorants: Cormorant Fact Sheet
