Antrim County (T28-31N, R8-9W) Surveyed June and July 1997

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Status of the Fishery Resource Report 97-*, 1997 TORCH LAKE Antrim County (T28-31N, R8-9W) Surveyed June and July 1997 David J. Borgeson Environment sandy loams (Grayling-Rubicon association), wetland sand, and dry sand Torch Lake is a deep, clear, oligitrophic lake plains. Forests in the watershed are mostly located in the northwest portion of of the beech, sugar maple, basswood type. Michigan's lower peninsula, primarily in A significant amount of land in the basin is southwestern Antrim County, with the dedicated to orchards, in addition to the southern tip of the lake bordering Kalkaska moderate acreage devoted to cropland. County. Although Torch Lake ranks second in The lake occupies a long, narrow basin surface acres (18,473 acres) among gouged out of 350 million year old limestone Michigan's lakes, in volume it is by far the and shale by the glaciers. Formerly a deep largest inland lake in Michigan. With an bay of Lake Michigan, it became an inland average depth of 140 feet and a maximum lake about 3500 years ago when water depth of 300 feet, the lake holds nearly a levels dropped and a bar and sand dunes cubic mile of water. Torch is also the formed across the narrow mouth of the bay. longest inland lake in Michigan, 18 miles long with 41 miles of shoreline. Torch Lake is located in the Elk River watershed, part of which consists of a chain With it's small immediate watershed and of 14 interconnecting lakes and rivers. The great volume the lake has excellent water main tributary to the lake is the Clam River, quality, consistently measured to be among which flows from the "upper chain of lakes". the highest in the state. Phosphorus levels Torch Lake has 58 other tributaries, most of are well within the oligitrophic range and which are very small coldwater streams. Secchi disk readings in the summer are The only streams large enough to mention usually between 20 and 30 feet. Oxygen are Wilkenson Creek, which empties into levels in the deeper waters actually remain the north end of the lake, and Spencer higher than in surface waters throughout the Creek, which flows into the lake at Alden, summer, with values measured above 13 located on the southeast portion of the lake. PPM at greater than 200 feet in depth. The lake outlets via the Torch River at the extreme southern end of the lake. The The shoreline consists mostly of rock Torch River then flows into Lake Skegemog. cobble, with large areas of sand present in Skegemog connects to Elk Lake which some areas, most notably in the north and outlets to Lake Michigan via the Elk River. south. The lake has a wide, sandy littoral A dam on the Elk River at Elk Rapids is a shelf with a steep drop-off along most of the barrier to Lake Michigan fish seeking access shore. Aquatic plants are sparse, with chara to the chain of lakes. being the most abundant. Pondweeds, milfoil, and vallisnaria are found in a few The geography of the area consists locations. primarily of moraines and till plains. Soils surrounding the lake are generally loams Development along the lakeshore is (Onaway-Emmet association), with some primarily residential, with 1,432 dwellings along the shore. Boating access to Torch is were stocked in Torch, but this program did provided by widely scattered public ramps not prove to be worthwhile. Atlantic salmon and road endings. A marina is also located were stocked in 1986 (14,760 fall in the Clam River just upstream from Torch fingerlings) and again in 1990 through 1992. Lake. These fall fingerling plants ranged from 12,490 to 40,000 per year. 5,800 yearlings were stocked in 1994. Again, a small Fishery Resource unquantified fishery of dedicated anglers developed for this species. Fisheries The Torch Lake fishery has remained personnel verified some of the catches of relatively consistent over the years. The the anglers, and in the fall of 1993, 30 1997 survey results are quite similar to past atlantics were netted in an attempt to take surveys. The coldwater fishery has long eggs. been dominated by naturally reproducing lake trout and lake whitefish. The main Smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and rock forage for the lake trout remains the bass are the mainstays of the coolwater abundant and slow growing lake herring fishery. A muskellunge will occasionally population. Also present in the coldwater spice up someone's fishing outing, although fish community in good numbers is the they are reported to be less abundant as burbot, supporting a small fishery at times they once were. during the winter. Naturally occurring brown trout and brook trout also contribute to the Fishing pressure on Torch Lake is generally coldwater fishery. thought to be light. The lake is also considered by many to be one of the more Some of these populations have been difficult lakes to fish. Those anglers that bolstered by stocking throughout the lake's fish it regularly, however, consider the managed history. Lake trout plants fishing to be pretty good. occurred as early as 1924. Lake trout were stocked nearly every year from 1933 through 1947, sporadically from 1948 Management Direction through 1954, and again were stocked consistently from 1955 until lake trout Torch Lake will continued to be managed as stocking was discontinued in 1986. On two a coldwater fishery. The naturally occasions the degree to which stocked reproducing lake trout, whitefish and herring lakers contributed to the fishery was are expected to continue to do well. The assessed. Each time the study concluded smallmouth bass fishery is also expected to that stocking was not contributing remain consistent, especially in light of the substantially to the population. Stocking recent increase in the size limit to 14 inches. occasionally bolstered a small natural yearclass to some degree. With or without There is a segment of the fishing public who being augmented by stocking, lake trout would like to see a different species stocked fishing has been steady, if not good, into Torch Lake to provide an additional, throughout its managed history. perhaps unique fishery in the lake. Those anglers who targeted atlantics in the past Brown trout were stocked in large numbers are eager to have that fishery reestablished. Following cessation of the lake trout plants in 1986. An unqualified fishery of dedicated Stocking of brown trout as been anglers targeted these fish. There have discontinued and we have agreed to also been sporadic plants of rainbows, but attempt to establish an atlantic salmon plants were too irregular to provide a fishery on Torch Lake by stocking 25,000 consistent fishery. fall fingerling and 25,000 yearling atlantics annually beginning in the fall of 1997. In attempts to provide unique fishing opportunities on Torch Lake, exotic But before doing so there should be an salmonid species have been stocked in the adequate assessment plan in place so the ake. In 1965 and 1966 Kokanee salmon resulting fishery can be quantified. First, so that the relative effectiveness of fall fingerling versus yearling plants can be evaluated, all atlantics stocked into Torch must be marked. This will also avoid the possible confounding affects of any natural reproduction that may occur. Evaluation of the fishery produced by the stocked atlantics should be done by a formal angler survey. This could provide us with some valuable information regarding angler hours, angler hours targeted toward atlantics, catch rates, total catch, the relative success of fall fingerling versus yearling plants, and signal us to the presence of any naturally produced atlantics. If a intensive creel survey is not funded, a volunteer creel survey could be done. It is sometimes difficult, however, to get some of the meaningful data required for a comprehensive assessment from a volunteer or low intensity survey. In addition to a creel survey, in order to keep track of the other species in Torch, a netting survey is planned before and after the introduction of atlantics. This would involve gill netting of index stations as well as a trap netting effort. Viability of the atlantic salmon program should for the most part be judged by angler hours produced, catch per effort, and overall angler satisfaction. Michigan Dept. of Number, Weight, and Length by Species Page 1 of 2 Natural Resources Produced: August 20, 1997 Water body: TORCH LAKE Discharge county: Antrim Survey begin: 07/07/1997 00:00:00 T/R/S: 28N 08W 06 end: 07/11/1997 00:00:00 status: Field Work Completed Survey type: Inland Lake Primary purpose: General Survey Note: Population evaluation using index stations prior to stocking of Atlantic Salmon. isear. No. used Gear Common name 1 G.L. Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Modified GL Gill Net Length Average Percent Percent Weight Percent range length legal Species Number by number (lb.) by weight (in.)* (in.) size" BROWN TROUT 1 0.3 3.4 0.7 18-18 100 GLGNET effort. 1 Net Lifts 1 0.3 3.4 0.7 18-18 18.5 100 BURBOT 9 2.5 18.5 4.1 14-20 100 GLGNET effort. 1 Net Lifts 2 0.6 2.0 0.4 15-16 16.0 100 GLGNET effort. 1 Net Lifts 1 0.3 1.3 0.3 17-17 17.5 100 GLGNET effort. 1 Net Lifts 1 0.3 2.5 0.5 20-20 20.5 100 GLGNET effort.

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