Cecil and others: Great facts about your tanks. Cecil I agree about the perch being more hardy and requiring less DO? That's kinda why I asked the question about other dead fish that I didn't see. But having said that, I surveyed the lake by boat as the water is very clear and I can see the bottom over much of the lake and no larger fish seen dead on the bottom or no seagulls actively canvasing the lake. I also agree the 4 acres of deep water saved me. The lake is some 750' wide and 1000' long and I do get strong winds that create white cap waves, so hopefully this natural effect helps to keep the DO high??? but can it remain above 2-3 PPM over 3-4 months of total ice cover and snow on it with 20-25% weeds on the bottom. Maybe the combination of higher DO and low weed % and some good luck helped. Only time will tell when I can observe the numbers of fish in the tank later in the month as the water warms up and they become more active. Right now, I see little fish in the shallow water but they may still be holed up in the deeper water? Any thoughts on how I can better access my possible winter kill more accurately? Thanks for your help and discussion.
Rowly
PS. I will be erecting an windmill aerator on one of my islands (moved it out when there was ice) for the lake once I get some time but I wonder how one windmill can help winter kill in a tank my size when totally frozen over......any thoughts
