Waterville Area Fisheries
(! Hastings
Gaylord Red Wing (! (!
Cannon River
Mississippi River
Le Center Wabasha (! (!
Zumbro River St. Peter New Ulm ! (! Minnesota River ( Faribault (!
Mankato P! Le Sueur River
Watonwan River Waseca Owatonna (! (! Mantorville (! Rochester P! St. James (!
Root River
Preston Fairmont Austin ! Albert Lea (! ( (! Blue Earth (! (!
Cedar River
Iowa River, Upper
Blue Earth River Waterville Area Fisheries
(! Hastings
Gaylord Red Wing (! (!
Cannon River
Mississippi River
Le Center Wabasha (! (!
Zumbro River St. Peter New Ulm ! (! Minnesota River ( Faribault (!
Mankato P! Le Sueur River
Watonwan River Waseca Owatonna (! (! Mantorville (! Rochester P! St. James (!
Root River
Preston Fairmont Austin ! Albert Lea (! ( (! Blue Earth (! (!
Cedar River
Iowa River, Upper
Blue Earth River Le Sueur River Watershed
(! Hastings
Gaylord Red Wing (! (!
Cannon River
Mississippi River
Le Center Wabasha (! (!
Zumbro River St. Peter New Ulm ! (! Minnesota River ( Faribault (!
Mankato P! Le Sueur River
Watonwan River Waseca Owatonna (! (! Mantorville (! Rochester P! St. James (!
Root River
Preston Fairmont Austin ! Albert Lea (! ( (! Blue Earth (! (!
Cedar River
Iowa River, Upper
Blue Earth River
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 – Bigmouth Buffalo – Black Bullhead – Black Crappie – Bluegill – Common Carp – Fathead Minnow – Green Sunfish – White Crappie – White Sucker – Yellow Perch
Freeborn Lake Fishery, 1984-2014
Yellow Perch Lake Class 41 Statistics (fish/net)
Inter Quartile Range (3.0 – 22.5) 120 Median (8.9)
110 100 Lake Average (42.5) 90 80 70 60 50 40
30 Relative Relative abundance (#/net) 20 10
0
1984 2004 2014 Year
Freeborn Lake Fishery, 1984-2014
Black Bullhead Lake Class 41 Statistics (fish/net)
500 Inter Quartile Range (1.3 – 78.1)
Median (14.7)
400 Lake Average (243.9)
300
200
Relative Relative abundance (#/net) 100
0
1984 2004 2014 Year
Freeborn Lake Fishery, 1984-2014
Common Carp Lake Class 41 Statistics (fish/net)
10 Inter Quartile Range (0.7 – 5.1)
9 Median (1.8)
8 Lake Average (3.2)
7
6
5
4
3
Relative Relative abundance (#/net) 2
1
0
1984 2004 2014 Year
Commercial Fish Harvest, 2004-2014
100000 Common Carp
90000 Buffalo
80000 Carp Average (12,873)
Buffalo Average (6,091)
) 70000 lbs 60000
50000
40000
30000 Pounds Pounds of Fish ( 20000
10000
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Year
Waterville Area Fisheries
• Primary Fisheries Challenges – River/Stream Degradation • Altered Hydrology. • Channelization. • Rough Fish impacts on Water Quality and Habitat.
– Lake Impairments • Altered Hydrology. • Turbidity. • Phosphorus. • Algae dominated systems versus plant dominated. • Shoreline Erosion • Recreational Needs versus Habitat Protection. • Invasive Species. • Rough Fishes.
– Possible culprits? • 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
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