Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations MN - 68 acre small lake management

Live on a small lake/pond of 68 acres in MN that does not have a public access, does not really get much fishing pressure from the people that live on it either. In fact, I have been thinking about putting together a plan and going around and giving everyone a copy and maybe meeting to see if we can have a voluntary management system. Outsiders (public) can fish on a small area of one bay that has a road, and people could ice fish but has not had an outside house for decades.

Want to build my own private pond someday soon, but thought in the mean time, why not try to improve this one.

Basicly it has a typical Minnesota body of water fish population.

LMB - good range of fish sizes but few 4lb+ fish.

N.Pike - 8 years ago catching 24" plus fish all day long was common. Numbers have been reduced a couple HUGE 40"+ fish exist.

Walleyes - exist usually catch them while fishing for other fish. Size usually 3 to 5 lbs.

Crappies, Sunnies, hybrids, BG - exist but all small

YP - few in numbers and have never seen one bigger then 4".

Common Carp and bullheads exist but number have been reduced recently. Bow hunters with the carp, and bullheads because of the LMB I would assume.

Would love for the lake to be a trophy bass, BG and perch lake. Is it possible?

I believe everything is kind of starving, the sunfish attack you when you swim, the bass are not chunky, and the panfish are all really small, hard to keep not worth cleaning.

I would be willing to try to get a permit to do some further stocking, or pay the DNR to do it. Looking for ideas, or maybe to be told to forget about.

I have some ideas, but would really like to hear others suggestions first.

Thanks much

sounds absolutely beautiful...this is WAY outside anything i am knowledgeable about, but reading yer post it struck me that 40-inch pike would have EVERYTHING in the pond running scared and as a complete guess probably is the biggest obstacle to a trophy LMB pond???? experts......???

Can you tell us about the depth of the lake and water quality (plankton bloom in summer) and do you have water plants (submerged or emergent) and if so what % of the lake has plants?

From the limited info , you have described a little bit of an unusual status.

1 Some top end predators are doing very well.
2 Few 4 - 5 lb. predators.
3 lots of small prey BG , YP , Crappie but no large ones.

Before I make a WAG my suggestion is you need more data than just catch/creel data. Seine surveys , possible elecro-shock survey and trapping data would help. An idea of how many and what type of fish are taken out is important. Your DNR may provide these services and private fisheries science (pros) provide them also.

Here is my WAG. The large/extra large pike are eating most of the 3+ lb LMB, eyes and YP. There are not enough small predators 10-12in. LMB, YP, pike and eyes to control the small BG, crappie and YP which are all known to stunt. As a result of competition for food among the prey species there is a shortage of 6-10 in BG , YP and Crappie to feed the medium sized predators so they don't appear fat and healthy.

Who's next with a guess?

I guess ewest is right.

You covered it eric. With big pike present, it's likely there are also a few big trophey sized LMB present too, they are just not very catachable due to the abundence of smaller prey items.

The lake has a max depth of about 20 to 25 feet over a good part of the main lake. Fairly sandy hard bottom where there is not a one foot layer of muck. Has two bays one at about 4 to 5 feet and another at 8 to 10 feet. Has a ditch inlet and outlet on opposite ends of the lake.

Cattails around 25% of the lake, bull rushes around 40% often in front of the cattails, two sizable areas of lilly pads. Weed line around 8 feet. Visability varies very clear early in the year but does green up as the summer wears on.

As I said the northerns numbers are down, actually have to work to catch one now, easier to catch a couple 3 lb bass. I do know of a giant one though that has been hooked (but not boated even with heavy bass rig) twice this year, and boat once more and released. I thought some of you where putting a single northern in your ponds to control 11 to 14" bass. (I personally don't understand it myself)

Given the lake does not have a public access the DNR is not going to do anything in regards to checking it out. Way to many lakes for them to manage already.

So the recommendation so far is just to keep killing as many northerns as possible no matter what the size?

At least we do not have a hammer handle problem. NOW that is when you have a messed up lake.

Thanks for the comments so far. As far as what is being removed. Hard to tell, without questioning the other property owners.

I would wait until you have a better feel for the population dynamics in the lake. The northerns "could" be keeping the LMB numbers down. If so, surviving LMB should grow very well due to the lack of competition from other LMB, this would also make them much harder to catch. What kind of body condition do the LMB have? Are they extremely fat or very skinny most of the year? I would guess that the LMB you catch are on the very fat side which is where you want to be.

Woundn't say fat, but wouldn't say skinny either. Pretty normal I guess.

Actually I am pretty happy with the way the bass are doing now that the northerns are at much reduced numbers.

Basicly is there a way to get bigger BG and YP without feeding?
As that would help grow the LMB and give everyone something to eat.
Note: it is illegal to feed fish in MN.
There does not seem to be a big minnow population either.

High density of predators keeping their numbers down.

Specifically smaller predators, ala 10"-12" LMB, to greatly thin the hordes of little BG and YP.

It may be as simple as the use of slot sizes . Leaving the ones in short supply and taking out some of the ones in the too many size. I would think you need to get the big pike out but maybe leave a few small ones. But my best advice is gather data by catch, seine and traps - then compare RW (relative weights). You can post the results and we can see the results and let you know. You could also hire a fisheries scientist. The best thing you could do is get Dave Willis or his students to look at the lake as northern waters like yours are his specialty .