Waterville Area Fisheries
!
(
Hastings
!
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Gaylord
n
nno
Ca
Riv
!
(
er
Red Wing
Miss
iss
!
(
!
(
New Ulm
Mi
nn
!
(
es
ota
Ri
ippi
Rive
r
Le Center
!
(
Wabasha
Zumbro
River
St. Peter
!
(
Faribault
ve
r
!
P
Mankato
Le
S
Watonwan
ue
ur
River
Ri
ve
r
!
(
Waseca
!
(
Owatonna
!
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Mantorville
!
P
Rochester
St. James
Root River
Fairmont
!
(
Blue Earth
!
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Albert Lea
!
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Austin
!
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Cedar River
River
!
(
Blue Earth
!
(
Iow a River, Upp
er
Preston
Waterville Area Fisheries
!
(
Hastings
!
(
Gaylord
n
nno
Ca
Riv
!
(
er
Red Wing
Miss
iss
!
(
!
(
New Ulm
Mi
nn
!
(
es
ota
Ri
ippi
Rive
r
Le Center
!
(
Wabasha
Zumbro
River
St. Peter
!
(
Faribault
ve
r
!
P
Mankato
Le
S
Watonwan
ue
ur
River
Ri
ve
r
!
(
Waseca
!
(
Owatonna
!
(
Mantorville
!
P
Rochester
St. James
Root River
Fairmont
!
(
Blue Earth
!
(
Albert Lea
!
(
Austin
!
(
Cedar River
River
!
(
Blue Earth
!
(
Iow a River, Upp
er
Preston
Le Sueur River Watershed
!
(
Hastings
!
(
Gaylord
n
nno
Ca
Riv
!
(
er
Red Wing
Miss
iss
!
(
!
(
New Ulm
Mi
nn
!
(
es
ota
Ri
ippi
Rive
r
Le Center
!
(
Wabasha
Zumbro
River
St. Peter
!
(
Faribault
ve
r
!
P
Mankato
Le
S
Watonwan
ue
ur
River
Ri
ve
r
!
(
Waseca
!
(
Owatonna
!
(
Mantorville
!
P
Rochester
St. James
Root River
Fairmont
!
(
Blue Earth
!
(
Albert Lea
!
(
Austin
!
(
Cedar River
River
!
(
Blue Earth
!
(
Iow a River, Upp
er
Preston
Freeborn Lake, Fish Species Present
Freeborn Lake Fish Management Plan
• Fisheries Management
– First Fisheries Survey was conducted in 1983.
• “Fish Management options are very limited because of habitat conditions which favor bullhead, carp and green
sunfish.”
• Good fishing of bullhead and/or crappie historically were largely dependent on winterkill events.
• “The only economical way to improve the fishing in this lake is to create a situation for severe winterkill of bullheads
and carp.”
• A northern pike spawning area was operated in 1967-1968 and it produced only 20 and 6 fingerlings in consecutive
•
•
•
years, so it was abandoned.
“Lake drawdown management should be considered.” However, such a proposal in the late 1960’s was met with
strong opposition for various reasons”.
1976: Lake was nearly dry.
History of periodic winterkill but the lake has downstream influence on the Cobb River.
– Managed by Lanesboro until 2004, thereafter, Freeborn County managed by Waterville.
– Fisheries Survey History:
• 1983, 1984, 2004, 2014.
– Primary Management Species.
• Yellow perch.
– Secondary Management Species.
• Northern pike.
– Stocking History (10 year)
• 2014 – Yellow perch, 175 lbs (3,675 fish)
• Prior to 2005: crappie, yellow perch, sunfish, bullhead, northern pike, pumpkinseed.
Freeborn Lake, Fish Species Present
• Historic Survey Fish Species Observed
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–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Bigmouth Buffalo
Black Bullhead
Black Crappie
Bluegill
Common Carp
Fathead Minnow
Green Sunfish
White Crappie
White Sucker
Yellow Perch
Freeborn Lake Fishery, 1984-2014
Lake Class 41 Statistics (fish/net)
Yellow Perch
Inter Quartile Range (3.0 – 22.5)
Median (8.9)
110
Lake Average (42.5)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Year
2014
2004
0
1984
Relative abundance (#/net)
120
Freeborn Lake Fishery, 1984-2014
Lake Class 41 Statistics (fish/net)
Black Bullhead
500
Inter Quartile Range (1.3 – 78.1)
Lake Average (243.9)
400
300
200
100
Year
2014
2004
0
1984
Relative abundance (#/net)
Median (14.7)
Freeborn Lake Fishery, 1984-2014
Lake Class 41 Statistics (fish/net)
Common Carp
10
Inter Quartile Range (0.7 – 5.1)
Median (1.8)
Lake Average (3.2)
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Year
2014
2004
0
1984
Relative abundance (#/net)
9
Commercial Fish Harvest, 2004-2014
100000
Common Carp
90000
Buffalo
Carp Average (12,873)
Buffalo Average (6,091)
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
Year
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
0
2004
Pounds of Fish (lbs)
80000
Waterville Area Fisheries
• Primary Fisheries Challenges
– River/Stream Degradation
• Altered Hydrology.
• Channelization.
• Rough Fish impacts on Water Quality and Habitat.
– Lake Impairments
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•
•
•
•
•
•
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Altered Hydrology.
Turbidity.
Phosphorus.
Algae dominated systems versus plant dominated.
Shoreline Erosion
Recreational Needs versus Habitat Protection.
Invasive Species.
Rough Fishes.
– Possible culprits?
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•
•
•
•
Eco-unfriendly Development.
Altered Watershed Hydrology.
Altered Water Level Management.
Climate Changes.
Connectivity and Rough Fish (Carp Pump)
Freeborn Lake, Reclamation?
Northern Pike Stocking Critical
Northern Pike Hatchery Production
Northern Pike: Watershed Stocking Approach
Take a Kid Fishing
Future of fishing is in their hands!
Questions or Comments?