A second is that fish may recently have arrived in Bassenthwaite Lake by moving down the River Derwent from the population in Derwent Water. One theory is that vendace have actually survived in Bassenthwaite Lake below the limit of detection for the last decade and may now be increasing in abundance. There are a number of possible origins for the vendace found in Bassenthwaite Lake in 20. The 2014 fish community survey of Bassenthwaite Lake was carried out on 10 September 2014 and recorded two post-underyearling vendace which would probably be old and large enough to spawn as adults during the coming spawning season of late 2014. I also think that such fish will spawn this winter, but I'm unsure of how egg incubation will go given persistent sediment problems at the lake.' I am certain that other adults remain in the lake. ĭr Winfield added, 'The news for Bassenthwaite Lake is about as big as it gets for rare fish.

Each year, the abundance and composition of the fish community is assessed using state-of-the-art hydroacoustics (echo sounding) combined with limited netting. The fish community of Bassenthwaite Lake has been monitored by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology since 1995 in a collaborative project previously with the Environment Agency and now with United Utilities.

He said, 'Finding adult vendace in 2014 following the recording of a young fish in 2013 is excellent news giving great encouragement to everyone involved in the restoration of Bassenthwaite Lake and its fantastic wildlife.' Dr Ian Winfield from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology leads the annual fish surveys of Bassenthwaite Lake.

Rare freshwater fish