Fall Index Netting and the Fish Sustainability Index

Fall index netting (FIN) is used by the Government of Alberta to primarily monitor walleye and Northern pike populations. FIN is being assessed as a method to assess the sustainability of other popular fisheries too, for example, lake whitefish and yellow perch.

For more information on Alberta’s FIN, visit:

The Fish Sustainability Index (FSI) was developed to bring consistency to fish stock assessments and provide a provincewide evaluation of the sustainability of Alberta fish species.

Information from fish stock assessments are translated into corresponding categories of risk to sustainability where a score of 1 represents a fishery at very high risk and a score of 4 or 5 represent lower risk (Table 1).

Table 1 - Alberta’s Fish Sustainability Index risk thresholds for Walleye and Northern Pike using the standardized Fall Index Net (FIN) method.

Assessment Score Risk to Sustainability
5 Very Low
4 Low
3 Moderate
2 High
Very High

For more information on Alberta’s Fish Sustainability Index (FSI), and walleye and Northern pike FSI Maps, please see these websites:

For more information on the assessment of a particular lake, please contact the local office:

FIN Summaries (based on adult abundance and length distribution)

2022

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Amisk Lake Low High
Buck Lake Low Moderate High
Elkwater Lake N/A Moderate
Ethel Lake Moderate Moderate
Fawcett Lake Low Moderate High
Floatingstone Lake Very High High
Frog Lake Extirpated High Very High
Garner Lake High Very High
Gregg Lake Extirpated High
Gull Lake High Very High
Iosegun Lake Low High
Jarvis Lake Very High High
Lac Ste. Anne Low Very High
Moose Lake High High
Muriel Lake Extirpated Very High
Pigeon Lake Very Low Very High
Round Lake High High
Skeleton Lake High Moderate High
Smoke Lake Very Low Low Very High
Sturgeon Lake Very Low Very High

2021

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Clear Lake N/A Moderate
Crawling Valley Reservoir Moderate High
Forty Mile Coulee Reservoir High Very High
Frog Lake Extirpated Very High
Gipsy Lake N/A Low
Goodfish Lake Very High Very High
Graham Lake High Very High
Jack Fish Lake Low High
Kehiwin Lake High High
Lac La Biche Moderate Very High
Lake Newell Moderate Very High
Moose Lake High High
North Wabasca Lake High High
Rolling Hills Lake High Very High
Sherburne Reservoir High High
South Wabasca Lake Very High Very High
Talbot Lake N/A High
Wadlin Lake High Very High

2020

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Big Island Lake Very High Very High
Bourque Lake High High
Buck Lake Low Very High
Burnstick Lake High Moderate
Elinor Lake Low High
Fickle Lake High Very High
Floatingstone Lake High High
Garner Lake High Very High
Gull Lake High High
Iosegun Lake Low Moderate High Very High
Island Lake High Moderate
Lac Ste Anne Very Low Very High
Lesser Slave Lake High Very High
Little Bow Reservoir Very High Very High
Long Lake Low Low
Marie Lake High Very High
McGregor Lake High Very High
Moose Lake High High
North Buck Lake Extirpated Moderate
Pigeon Lake Low Very High
Pinehurst Lake High Very High
Skeleton Lake Moderate High Moderate High
Smoke Lake Moderate Very High
Snipe Lake Low High
Sturgeon Lake Very Low Very High
Sylvan Lake High Very High
Travers Reservoir Very High Very High
Wabamun Lake Low Very High
Winagami Lake Moderate High High Very High

2019

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Amisk Lake Low Moderate High
Baptiste Lake Moderate High
Chickenhill Lake Extirpated Extirpated
Christina Lake Very High High
Elinor Lake High High
Fawcett Lake Moderate High High
Gardiner Lake Very High Very High
Gods Lake High Very High High
Haig Lake Very Low Very High
Ironwood Lake Moderate High High
May Lake High High
Pine Lake Very High Moderate High
Sawn Lake High Very High Very High
Shiningbank Lake Very Low Low Very High
Touchwood Lake High High
Tucker Lake N/A Very Low

2018

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Battle Lake Moderate High
Berry Creek (Carolside) Reservoir Very High Moderate
Crane Lake Very High Moderate High
Goodfish Lake Very High Very High
Hebephrenic Lake Very High High Very High
Hutch Lake Low Moderate
Isle Lake Very High Moderate
Kehiwin Lake High High
Lac Bellevue Very Low Very High
Lac La Biche Moderate High
Lac La Nonne Very High Moderate
Lac Ste. Anne Low High
Long Lake N/A Moderate High
Milk River Ridge Reservoir Very High Very High
Pigeon Lake Very Low Very High
Pinehurst Lake High High Very High
Rainbow Lake Very High Very High
Rock Island Lake Moderate High Very High
Scope Lake Very High Very High
Utikimasis Lake High Very High
Utikuma Lake Very High High
Wolf Lake High High

2017

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Amisk Lake Low Moderate High
Brutus Lake High High
Buck Lake Very Low Very High
Buffalo Lake N/A Low
Calling Lake Low Moderate Very High
Ethel Lake Moderate Low
Floatingstone Lake Moderate High High
Fork Lake N/A Moderate High
Garner Lake Moderate Very High
Graham Lake High Very High
Gregoire (Willow) Lake Moderate High
Gull Lake Moderate High
Hilda Lake Low High
Jackfish Lake High High
Jackson Lake High High
Lake Newell High Very High
Long Lake Moderate High
Moose Lake High Moderate
Net Lake Moderate High Very High
North Wabasca Lake High High
Peerless Lake Very High Very High
Raspberry Lake N/A Very Low
Rattlesnake Lake High Very High
Rock Island Lake High Very High High Very High
Rolling Hills Lake High Very High
Round Lake Low High
Sandy Lake Very High Moderate
Snipe Lake Moderate Very High
South Wabasca Lake High Low
Sturgeon Lake Very Low High Very High
Sylvan Lake High Very High
Vandersteene Lake High High
Winefred Lake High High

2016

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Baptiste Lake Moderate High
Beaver Lake High High
Bourque Lake Moderate Very High
Fawcett Lake High High
Frog Lake Extirpated Very High
Iosegun Lake Low High
Island Lake High High
Lac La Biche High High
Lac La Nonne Very High High
Lac Ste Anne Very Low High
Lawrence Lake N/A Very Low
Smoke Lake High Very High
Wadlin Lake Very Low High
Whitefish Lake Moderate Very High
Wolf Lake Very High Moderate

2015

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Badger Lake Very High High
Berry Creek (Carolside) Reservoir N/A High
Blackett Lake Moderate High
Burnstick Lake High Moderate
Brazeau Canal Reservoir N/A High
Brazeau Reservoir N/A Very High
Crawling Valley Res High High
Eagle Lake High High
Elinor Lake Moderate High
Gregg Lake Very High High
Heart Lake Low High
Jackson Lake Moderate High
Jarvis Lake Very High High
Jensen Reservoir Very High Very High
Keho Lake Very High High
Kinnaird Lake Moderate High
Lac Bellevue Very Low Very High
Lac La Biche Low Moderate High
Long Lake High Very High
Marie Lake High High
Muskwa Lake Very High Very Low
North Buck Lake Extirpated High
Nipisi Lake N/A Moderate
Orloff Lake Moderate High Very High
Pigeon Lake Very Low Very High
Pine Lake Very High Moderate
Sawn Lake Very High High
Seibert Lake High Very High
Skeleton Lake Moderate High Low Moderate
Spencer Lake Low High
Wabamun Lake Very High High
Winagami Lake Low Moderate

2014

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Big Island Lake High Very High
Bistcho Lake High Low
Clear Lake Very Low Very High
Fickle Lake High Very High
Gardiner Lake High High
Gods Lake Very High High
Gull Lake High High
Haig Lake Low Very High
Ironwood Lake Moderate High
Lac La Biche Moderate High
Lac Ste Anne Very Low High
Lesser Slave Lake High Very High
Magee Lake N/A Very Low
Middle Chain Lake N/A High
Moose Lake High High
Pinehurst Lake Moderate High High
Shiningbank Lake Moderate High High
Snipe Lake Very High High
Thurston Lake Very High High
Touchwood Lake High High
Wolf Lake Moderate High

2013

Waterbody Risk to Sustainability Rating
Walleye Northern Pike
Amisk Lake High Very High
Buck Lake Very Low High
Christina Lake Very High High
Fawcett Lake High High
Fork Lake N/A Low Moderate
Garner Lake Very Low Very High
Iosegun Lake Low Very High
Kehewin Lake High High
Lac La Biche High Very High
Lac Ste Cyr Very High High
Lake Newell High Very High
Long Lake Low Moderate High
May Lake High High
McGregor Lake High Very High
N Wabasca Lake Very High High
Pigeon Lake Very Low Very High
Sandy Lake Very High High
Smoke Lake Moderate Very High
Sturgeon Lake Very Low High
Tucker Lake N/A Low Moderate
Utikuma Lake High Very Low
Wabamun Lake Very High Moderate

Reports from 2010 to 2012 are archived here:

For more information on Fisheries Management and Conservation visit:

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