Spelga Reservoir Survey Report 2024
Date published:
Following reports from trout anglers that pike had been caught at Spelga Reservoir, DAERA commissioned a series of fish surveys from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI). Three surveys were carried out between 2021 and 2023 and the final report in 2024 highlighted that there was an established population of pike of up to eight years of age present at the site.
Spelga Reservoir is owned by Northern Ireland Water (NIW) and is an artificial impounding reservoir built in the 1950’s as a public water supply. The fishing rights are leased from NIW by DAERA, who manage the fishery as part of the Public Angling Estate (PAE). The fishery is managed as a wild brown trout fishery with no recent stocking history. There are at least two small inflowing tributaries where spawning of trout occurs and from where juvenile trout will migrate to the lake to feed and grow.
Pike predate upon fish of all species as well as invertebrates, amphibians and small birds. They can have a significant impact on trout, particularly in the absence of other prey species, and in shallower waters such as Spelga dam.
The control or eradication of pike after they have been introduced to a water can be complex and resource intensive.
Although the AFBI has made a number of recommendations, no immediate action is planned to remove pike from Spelga Reservoir, which would divert resources from other priorities.
The Department will, however, fully consider the scientific evidence on the impacts of pike at game fisheries, the need to remove or reduce pike populations at those waters, the cost implications, and the effect on the angling product, to develop a policy in due course.