SHAUNAVON — Shaunavon Wildlife Federation’s Trout Pond, located northwest of Shaunavon, has been another victim of the ongoing drought in the southwest.
“The pond has deteriorated in recent years due to drought, resulting in high salinity that fish cannot survive in,” secretary of the local group, Stu Christensen, says.
“The recent rains have raised our hope that conditions may improve and we are in the process of doing additional water quality testing and talking with a pond management consultant to see what we can do to re-stock it.”
Fish for the pond have been purchased in the past from a private hatchery in Golden Prairie. When the pond is operational, it is open to the public, but Christensen encourages everyone to support the local organization by purchasing a membership, which is only $25 for an individual. The group’s main events include horn scoring in December, an awards banquet in April and the Reid Lake Catch-and-Release Walleye Derby in July.
The group has also supported Shaunavon High School in its participation in the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation’s The Fish in Schools (FinS) education program. The program provides Saskatchewan students with a firsthand look at fish and aquatic habitats in their classrooms. The program involves raising trout from eggs to fry before releasing them in a provincially stocked waterbody.
In January/February, eyed trout eggs are placed into special classroom incubators. Over the following three to four months, students care for their fish by monitoring and maintaining the conditions required for their trout to thrive. In May/June, the trout are ready to be released by the students.
Shaunavon High School student Hannah Christensen and (former) principal Connie Allemand led the project. In 2025, 100 trout eggs were hatched and more than 80 survived and were released this spring at 5 Mile Dam south of Gull Lake. 5 Mile Dam is also stocked by the Provincial Fish Hatchery.
Shaunavon High School is also a participant in the National Archery in Schools Program, which is also offered by the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation and is led by local teacher Mrs. Nancy Leroy.
