READ ABOUT AUGUST 19
LOW WATER ADVISORY
ON THE LAKE STEWARD PAGE
Effective August 29th the total fire ban in Tay Valley Township has been lifted.
A Burn Permit is still required for all
open air fires and precautions
should still be taken.
A good time to check out the fire safety info on the Lake Life Page
We are working on an updated Lake Plan for Pike Lake and your input is critical.
Please click here to link to the webpage to read abaout the new Lake Plan
and take the survey by September 28th.
Lake Stewardship
The Pike Lake Community Association has undertaken many programs in its history. The members of the association when surveyed have said the most important role for the association is the Lake Stewardship.
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Click here to navigate to Updating the State of Pike Lake Page
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Click here to navigate to information on Invasive Species
Lake Steward
The role of the Lake Steward is to work as an advocate and leader with the Pike Lake Community Association Board to promote the health and enjoyment of our lake now and for the future and to oversee initiatives impacting the Lake and surrounding area that the Board undertakes.
Some topics included in the Lake Steward portfolio involve keeping an eye on water quality, watching for invasive species and sharing helpful information with the cottage community—about how we can all do our part in keeping the lake clean, safe, and healthy.
There are several concerns to be aware of including developmental changes to the greater watershed, environmental changes that can damage sensitive shoreline areas or invasive species such as zebra mussels and eurasian millfoil.​
The Lake Steward will work closely with the Board and volunteers from the lake community, as well as reaching out to other lake stewards, local conservation authorities, provincial environmental programs, and groups like FOCA (Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations) to share data, resources, and ideas.
A healthy lake supports wildlife, recreation, property values, and the overall well-being of our community—it affects everyone. Together, through small but meaningful actions, we can make a big difference in preserving the beauty and value of our lake for generations to come.
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Cathryn Bjerkelund
Lake Steward
Level 3 Low Water Alert Issued by RVCA
Aug 19, 2025 - Due to ongoing rainfall deficits and prolonged heat waves, the Rideau Valley Water Response Team has declared a Level 3 Low Water Advisory for the Rideau Valley Watershed.
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For full information on the conditions click on the link below:
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Update on the State of Pike Lake Report
A key priority for the Lake Steward that the Board brought forward at the 2025 AGM held June 21 is to update the 2010 State of the Pike Lake Report and the subsequent 2011 handbook. A Steering Committee reporting to the Board through the Lake Steward, and led by volunteer David Scott, has started this important work.
Why is this important? By having an up-to-date Lake Plan our community association can work more effectively with the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority and Tay Valley Township, as well as with provincial environmental agencies and stewardship programs. The Lake Plan will help us to re-affirm our priorities, focus our efforts and perhaps even open up opportunities for funding conservation programs.
To ensure the Lake Plan will reflect our priorities and give every property owner a chance to be heard or become involved, a survey will be sent out late this summer. Look for more information on the survey in an email to the members and posted to the Pike Lake FaceBook Group.
Our ultimate goal is to keep the lake healthy, safe, and enjoyable for everyone, both now and in the future. Together, by supporting a lake plan, we’ll be protecting a place that brings us joy, relaxation, and lasting memories.
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You can read more about the Steering Committee and our efforts to update the State of the Lake on our dedicated "Updating the Lake Plan" page by clicking here.
Eurasian Water Milfoil Mapping Project 2025
​Eurasian Water Milfoil is an invasive species that has been identified and confirmed to be in Pike Lake.
A first-step project initiated by the PLCA Board in 2025, and led by volunteer Paul Swift, is to identify all of the areas where Eurasian Water Milfoil (EWM) has established itself in Pike Lake, and to create a map that shows these areas.
PLCA volunteers are performing surveys around the whole lake and submitting their observations.
When the map is populated, it will be shared with all members, so boaters can avoid those areas and minimize the spread to new areas.
More information will be posted as this project progresses. Thanks to all of the volunteers that are participating. If you would like to volunteer, send a message to info@pikelake.ca
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You can find further information on EWM and this project as it progresses on the Invasive Species subpage by clicking here. There is also information on other invasive species.
Calling all "Loonies"
​​We're looking for volunteers, aka "Loonies", to count the number of loon pairs in
June, baby chicks in July, and surviving chicks in August. The information is used
to track the survival of loon chicks over time. It also helps scientists to monitor the
health of both the loon population and the health of our lakes across Canada and
regionally.
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Please let us know that you've seen loon pairs, or chicks, where on Pike Lake you
observed them (i.e. south end of the lake, your address, Jamieson Bay), the date,
when you first saw chicks, whether you saw a nesting spot, and any other relevant
information via email to info@pikelake.ca ​​
The PLCA joined the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey in 2013 so we now have 7 years of data (the survey was cancelled for two years because of COVID). We will need at least 10 years of data before we can make any conclusions about loon population trends on Pike Lake.
You can find more information on the Canadian Lakes Loon Survey at Birds Canada - click here. ​​
Thank you to all the Pike Lake "loonies" who help us keep track of the loons on Pike Lake!
Hazard Buoys
In 2018, volunteers of the Pike Lake Community Association prepared and placed hazard buoys in 18 locations on Pike Lake to mark the location of rocks or shoals on Pike Lake. Thanks to the input of Pike Lakers, additional buoys were placed in 2019, and 2020 and three more were placed in August 2021. We now have a total of 27 buoys.
All hazard buoys are:
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Placed in areas of the lake identified as the most dangerous
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Yellow in colour
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Identified with the letters "info@pikelake.ca"
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Respect the guidelines set out by Transport Canada & the Canada Shipping Act
Every effort is being made to mark some lake or waterway hazards, however the
Pike Lake Community Association is not responsible to ensure all hazards are marked
or continue to be marked.
​Individual operators of a watercraft and snowmobilers are solely responsible for their safety, including the avoidance of any water hazard and buoys.
Operators should keep a 30 meter distance from the hazard buoys as water currents and ice movements could shift buoys from their original placement.
The buoys historically were deployed in the spring and removed by the first week in October however, they are now left in year round for the safety of snowmobilers.
​If you would like to volunteer, know of a location where there should be a buoy, notice a missing buoy, or find a buoy that has come loose please contact us by clicking here.
Links to Resources
For easy reference, here are some links for information on various Lake Stewardship topics:
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Federation of Ontario Cottagers' Associations
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Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
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Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
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Miscellaneous Reference Material
2025 Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association (FOCA) Publication
The Federation of Ontario Cottagers Association is a valuable source of information for cottagers and cottage associations. Their "2025 Ontario Lake Stewards" magazine is full of interesting and helpful information.
There are articles on the following and more!
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Aquatic weeds
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Youth-focused events and activities
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Succession planning
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Climate Resilience
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Biodiversity loss in Ontario
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Water safety
You can find this document by clicking here.
2023 Rideau Valley Conservation Authority Presentation to PLCA AGM
Haley Matschke - Surface Water Quality Coordinator, and Gavin Robertson - Water Resource Technician (RVCA) & Biological Technician (OFAH) from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority were invited to make a presentation to the Pike Lake Community Association Annual General Meeting on June 24th. You can find a copy of their slide presentation by clicking here.
Walleye Spawning and Habitat Enhancing Project
The PLCA Lake Stewardship program has been working on this project with the Ministry of Natural Resources & Forestry (MNR&F) for several years now. The goal of this project is to enhance the walleye fish population in Pike Lake.
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Over the past few years, volunteers have made observations of priority shoal locations, done fish eye counts late on cool spring nights, and last summer fishers on Pike Lake were asked to voluntarily complete a record of their catches. These reports allowed MNR&F to determine the conditions were right to commit to adding Walleye fingerlings to the lake at their expense.
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At the 2021 AGM of the PLCA Joffre Cote, Management Biologist with MNRF presented the results of the Angler Diary program run over the 2019 season.
Blue Green Algae
​​July, 2020. Many waterways are experiencing blue-green algae which can be toxic. Fortunately, we are not aware of any toxic blooms on Pike Lake.
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Linden Davidson, the Lake Steward for PLCA, received a report from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) on the laboratory analytical results for the samples collected from Pike Lake on July 2, 2020. They show that both the total microcystins and total anatoxin-A concentrations were below the method detection limit of 0.1 and 0.2 ug/L, respectively.
