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 Take a Kid Fishing Future of fishing is in their hands! Questions or Comments? .