blake
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From the IDNR:
From the IDNR:
Excellent Fishing Expected at Renovated Lakes in Southwest Iowa
Posted: April 1, 2008
Southwest Iowa is poised to offer some of the best fishing in all of the upper Midwest for bluegills, crappies, walleyes, channel catfish and largemouth bass after numerous lake renovation projects were completed during the past five years.
Since 2003, the DNR has drained, killed out, protected and improved fish habitat in Lake Anita, Lake Icaria, Binder Lake, Old Corning Reservoir, Lake of Three Fires, Twelve Mile Lake, Cold Springs Lake and Viking Lake and that investment is now paying dividends.
"I know it was hard for many of the local anglers to give up their favorite fishing lake for a couple of years, but they have seen the results and we are hearing a lot of positive comments and now others are asking when their lakes can be done," said Chris Larson, Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries bureau supervisor for the southwest region.
Larson said many of the renovated lakes faced similar problems: poor water quality, an over abundance of yellow bass or carp, poor land management in the watershed and overall poor fishing. The DNR developed a plan as it approached these lake renovations - work with landowners to find and fix the problems in the watershed, protect the shoreline, improve the in-lake fish habitat, eliminate the problem fish, restock the lake with the right fish balance and bring fish closer to shore anglers.
Lake Anita was first on the list. Choked with stunted yellow bass, the DNR drained the lake in 2003, killed what fish remained, deepened the shoreline, installed underwater mounds and structure, and added pea gravel spawning areas to attract bluegills and largemouth bass closer to shore.
Unfortunately, it took three years for the lake to refill. But the results are irrefutable. Fishing for bluegills, largemouth bass and channel catfish is phenomenal. Rooted aquatic vegetation is back and the water quality is excellent. The tremendous fishing for 14 to 19-inch bass has attracted six bass fishing tournaments in 2008.
Visitation and camping numbers at the state park are way up. In 2002 before the renovation, park visitations were estimated at more than 250,000 and camper nights at 19,500. In 2007, park visitations were estimated at 286,000 and camper nights at more than 21,000. And park use is expected to increase again this year. The increase in activity means more money is spent in the local economy.
Heading south on county hwy. 148 sits 665-acre Lake Icaria that faced a similar fate. The lake renovation in 2004 included significant work in the watershed, adding silt retention structures and applying conservation practices on the land. The plan also included a 52-acre wetland on the upper end of the lake to remove nutrients and sediments from the runoff before the water entered Icaria.
Work in the lake included adding 14 rock reefs topped with pea gravel to attract bluegills, bass, walleye and crappies. The reefs help to concentrate fish in a known area plus provide spawning substrate and, based on findings from electro fishing surveys, they are working as intended. A number of fishing jetties were constructed to provide good fishing from shore, particularly in May for bluegills and crappies. Walleye fishing along the south shore from the dam to the campground in April is excellent, and the lake has a good history as a channel catfish fishery.
The project has produced excellent growth rates in bluegills, crappies, walleyes and largemouth bass and the water clarity improved from one foot to nearly four feet. The lake is attracting so many people to fish and camp at the county park that the staff is working hard to keep up. The marina at Icaria has seen a jump in business, too.
A few miles south of Icaria is 70-acre Lake Binder, that was also renovated in 2004. Binder now offers excellent fishing for 9-inch crappies from its shore, largemouth bass fishing has really improved and the bluegills are acceptable size at just under 8 inches.
"A fishing trip to Binder in late April or early May would definitely be worth while for anyone who likes to catch fish," Larson said.
Just east of Creston is Twelve Mile Lake that for years had been on the must fish list of walleye, crappie and bass anglers, until carp caused poor water quality and yellow bass all but eliminated any other fish species. During the last few years before renovation, an occasional crappie or walleye could be caught, but the number of fishing trips dropped as the fishery declined.
Twelve Mile Lake serves as a drinking water supply and the lake was drained to fix a problem with a water intake. While the lake was down, the DNR installed five underwater rock reefs topped with pea gravel, added six "flat reefs" about 50 feet square of basketball sized and larger rock in six to eight feet of water. This is a new type of fish structure that attracts crustaceans and other prey species that would in turn attract the predators - largemouth bass, walleye and channel catfish.
Other in-lake work included adding spawning areas on a shelf created around the fishing jetties, plus putting deep water drop-offs like a trough around the shelf to attract predators close to shore. Smaller underwater reefs were added within casting distances to the jetties.
"The idea behind these types of structures is to attract fish closer to shore, near these fishing jetties," Larson said.
The lake was renovated a little over two years ago and it has been a surprise, said Larson. Water clarity is excellent and since the carp were eliminated, the rooted aquatic vegetation is coming back. Bluegills are around 7-1/2 inches and a good number of walleyes are longer than 15 inches. For a number of years leading up to the renovation, there were zero bass fishing tournaments held at Twelve Mile. In 2008, there are 30 bass tournaments planned.
Of all the lake renovation projects, Larson said the best success story is Lake of Three Fires. The 95-acre lake in central Taylor County had produced fair to poor fishing for 25 to 30 years. The renovation project began with fixing problems in the watershed, installing wetlands to remove nutrients from the runoff before it enters the lake, dredging the lake itself and installed six fish attracting rock reefs.
The result was dramatic. Water clarity increased to more than 4 feet, and it is possibly the top fishery for bluegills, crappies and largemouth bass in the region. It provided excellent fishing through the ice for crappies up to 13 inches and is loaded with keeper-sized bluegills. It also is excellent for channel catfish.
"Of all our lake renovations in this area, Lake of Three Fires is probably the shining star," Larson said. Park use has reflected the improvement in the lake. Lake of Three Fires State Park saw an increase of visitors by 8,000 and camping nights by more than 1,000 since the renovation.
The lake renovation rebound is in the early stages at Viking Lake, which was completed in 2006. "It's coming back nicely," Larson said. "The fish growth rates are excellent."
The lake water quality is excellent and fishing should be good for channel catfish this summer. There will be a number of sub-legal sized largemouth bass caught this summer and the bluegills are about another year away.
Fixing a lake costs lots of money and time, Larson said, and that investment needs to be protected. All the work and money can be wasted if carp, yellow bass or an exotic species like zebra mussels or brittle naiad turn up in the lake, in addition to any negative changes in the watershed that were to occur.
These projects have been a success and people are coming back to southwest Iowa to fish, swim, camp and spend time near these clear, high value lakes and all this activity means big money to local economies. Once word gets out that the lakes of southwest Iowa are back and fishing is excellent, that short drive from Des Moines and Omaha/Council Bluffs will seem even shorter.
For more information, contact Chris Larson, southwest region fisheries bureau supervisor with the Iowa DNR at 712-769-2587.
Would you like more information about becoming a PMA or Life Member? >>>>> Details Here!<<<<<
From the IDNR:
Excellent Fishing Expected at Renovated Lakes in Southwest Iowa
Posted: April 1, 2008
Southwest Iowa is poised to offer some of the best fishing in all of the upper Midwest for bluegills, crappies, walleyes, channel catfish and largemouth bass after numerous lake renovation projects were completed during the past five years.
Since 2003, the DNR has drained, killed out, protected and improved fish habitat in Lake Anita, Lake Icaria, Binder Lake, Old Corning Reservoir, Lake of Three Fires, Twelve Mile Lake, Cold Springs Lake and Viking Lake and that investment is now paying dividends.
"I know it was hard for many of the local anglers to give up their favorite fishing lake for a couple of years, but they have seen the results and we are hearing a lot of positive comments and now others are asking when their lakes can be done," said Chris Larson, Iowa Department of Natural Resources fisheries bureau supervisor for the southwest region.
Larson said many of the renovated lakes faced similar problems: poor water quality, an over abundance of yellow bass or carp, poor land management in the watershed and overall poor fishing. The DNR developed a plan as it approached these lake renovations - work with landowners to find and fix the problems in the watershed, protect the shoreline, improve the in-lake fish habitat, eliminate the problem fish, restock the lake with the right fish balance and bring fish closer to shore anglers.
Lake Anita was first on the list. Choked with stunted yellow bass, the DNR drained the lake in 2003, killed what fish remained, deepened the shoreline, installed underwater mounds and structure, and added pea gravel spawning areas to attract bluegills and largemouth bass closer to shore.
Unfortunately, it took three years for the lake to refill. But the results are irrefutable. Fishing for bluegills, largemouth bass and channel catfish is phenomenal. Rooted aquatic vegetation is back and the water quality is excellent. The tremendous fishing for 14 to 19-inch bass has attracted six bass fishing tournaments in 2008.
Visitation and camping numbers at the state park are way up. In 2002 before the renovation, park visitations were estimated at more than 250,000 and camper nights at 19,500. In 2007, park visitations were estimated at 286,000 and camper nights at more than 21,000. And park use is expected to increase again this year. The increase in activity means more money is spent in the local economy.
Heading south on county hwy. 148 sits 665-acre Lake Icaria that faced a similar fate. The lake renovation in 2004 included significant work in the watershed, adding silt retention structures and applying conservation practices on the land. The plan also included a 52-acre wetland on the upper end of the lake to remove nutrients and sediments from the runoff before the water entered Icaria.
Work in the lake included adding 14 rock reefs topped with pea gravel to attract bluegills, bass, walleye and crappies. The reefs help to concentrate fish in a known area plus provide spawning substrate and, based on findings from electro fishing surveys, they are working as intended. A number of fishing jetties were constructed to provide good fishing from shore, particularly in May for bluegills and crappies. Walleye fishing along the south shore from the dam to the campground in April is excellent, and the lake has a good history as a channel catfish fishery.
The project has produced excellent growth rates in bluegills, crappies, walleyes and largemouth bass and the water clarity improved from one foot to nearly four feet. The lake is attracting so many people to fish and camp at the county park that the staff is working hard to keep up. The marina at Icaria has seen a jump in business, too.
A few miles south of Icaria is 70-acre Lake Binder, that was also renovated in 2004. Binder now offers excellent fishing for 9-inch crappies from its shore, largemouth bass fishing has really improved and the bluegills are acceptable size at just under 8 inches.
"A fishing trip to Binder in late April or early May would definitely be worth while for anyone who likes to catch fish," Larson said.
Just east of Creston is Twelve Mile Lake that for years had been on the must fish list of walleye, crappie and bass anglers, until carp caused poor water quality and yellow bass all but eliminated any other fish species. During the last few years before renovation, an occasional crappie or walleye could be caught, but the number of fishing trips dropped as the fishery declined.
Twelve Mile Lake serves as a drinking water supply and the lake was drained to fix a problem with a water intake. While the lake was down, the DNR installed five underwater rock reefs topped with pea gravel, added six "flat reefs" about 50 feet square of basketball sized and larger rock in six to eight feet of water. This is a new type of fish structure that attracts crustaceans and other prey species that would in turn attract the predators - largemouth bass, walleye and channel catfish.
Other in-lake work included adding spawning areas on a shelf created around the fishing jetties, plus putting deep water drop-offs like a trough around the shelf to attract predators close to shore. Smaller underwater reefs were added within casting distances to the jetties.
"The idea behind these types of structures is to attract fish closer to shore, near these fishing jetties," Larson said.
The lake was renovated a little over two years ago and it has been a surprise, said Larson. Water clarity is excellent and since the carp were eliminated, the rooted aquatic vegetation is coming back. Bluegills are around 7-1/2 inches and a good number of walleyes are longer than 15 inches. For a number of years leading up to the renovation, there were zero bass fishing tournaments held at Twelve Mile. In 2008, there are 30 bass tournaments planned.
Of all the lake renovation projects, Larson said the best success story is Lake of Three Fires. The 95-acre lake in central Taylor County had produced fair to poor fishing for 25 to 30 years. The renovation project began with fixing problems in the watershed, installing wetlands to remove nutrients from the runoff before it enters the lake, dredging the lake itself and installed six fish attracting rock reefs.
The result was dramatic. Water clarity increased to more than 4 feet, and it is possibly the top fishery for bluegills, crappies and largemouth bass in the region. It provided excellent fishing through the ice for crappies up to 13 inches and is loaded with keeper-sized bluegills. It also is excellent for channel catfish.
"Of all our lake renovations in this area, Lake of Three Fires is probably the shining star," Larson said. Park use has reflected the improvement in the lake. Lake of Three Fires State Park saw an increase of visitors by 8,000 and camping nights by more than 1,000 since the renovation.
The lake renovation rebound is in the early stages at Viking Lake, which was completed in 2006. "It's coming back nicely," Larson said. "The fish growth rates are excellent."
The lake water quality is excellent and fishing should be good for channel catfish this summer. There will be a number of sub-legal sized largemouth bass caught this summer and the bluegills are about another year away.
Fixing a lake costs lots of money and time, Larson said, and that investment needs to be protected. All the work and money can be wasted if carp, yellow bass or an exotic species like zebra mussels or brittle naiad turn up in the lake, in addition to any negative changes in the watershed that were to occur.
These projects have been a success and people are coming back to southwest Iowa to fish, swim, camp and spend time near these clear, high value lakes and all this activity means big money to local economies. Once word gets out that the lakes of southwest Iowa are back and fishing is excellent, that short drive from Des Moines and Omaha/Council Bluffs will seem even shorter.
For more information, contact Chris Larson, southwest region fisheries bureau supervisor with the Iowa DNR at 712-769-2587.
Would you like more information about becoming a PMA or Life Member? >>>>> Details Here!<<<<<