How big an affect will winter kill have on small lakes?

[Shloim]

I heard the winter kill was bad on many of the small lakes I was intenet on frquenting this year from my kayak and canoe...Ie. island and heart lakes, guelph lake etc. Any speculations on what this will mean for us anglers?

[Locnar]

"I was internet on frquenting this year..." what?

[Terry]

I have seen many years with more ice

 

and there was lots of snow to insulate the lakes, so don't know that it will be that bad

[misfish]

Been fishing the marina alot this spring after work. I have seen little kill this year compared to others. One rock bass. I have seen a few pike that have sores on them,but they seem to be healthy enough to keep swiping at shiners.

 

Think the shallow lakes are getting hit hard.

 

I have even fished a creek here that I seen crappie being washed down from a small lake, due to the fast current. Many washed a shore.

 

 

 

 

I even seen more today.

[Shloim]

"I was internet on frquenting this year..." what?

Sorry meant intent...

[Sinker]

Some of the pothole lakes around here got hit hard. One in particular, I think almost everything is toast. Pretty sad to see.

 

S.

[irishfield]

Other than the snapping turtles having food... I don't think you'll find the fishing any different.

[farsider]

Intent on frequenting this year

 

I always thought the effect with ice cover was it prevented fresh oxygen to get to the water body and prevented the CO2 from decomposing plant life to escape normally.

 

Basically robbing the available oxygen and causing the animals to die.

 

More pronounced in shallow weedy lakes.

 

Cheers,

Mark

[Big Cliff]

Plenty of dead pan fish washed up on Sturgeon Lake this year. I think part of the problem was that they dropped the water level so low to help prevent/reduce flooding. Sad to see the dead fish, sadder to see someone loose their home or cottage!

[captpierre]

I'm on NE Pigeon. Haven't noticed any dead panfish this year.

 

Thought there would be lots. Fairly bad last spring

[OhioFisherman]

Info on winter fish kills. http://ohioline.osu.edu/a-fact/0008.html

 

 

I can no longer get out to check the effects in my area, but I suspect that a lot of ponds and lakes here have had a significant issue with it. I recall going to a local area pond with my buddy after the winter of 78 - 79. A 6 - 8 acre pond, but I don't think it had a spot in it over 8 feet deep, as we approached the pond we could see fish floating by the overflow, there must have been 200 dead bass up to around 6 pounds.

[Dave Bailey]

Other than the snapping turtles having food... I don't think you'll find the fishing any different.

 

Yeah, they're going to have a post-hibernation feast to rival a Roman orgy! I've heard it's pretty brutal on Mitchell and Canal Lakes in the Kawarthas, they're both quite shallow so I suppose many areas froze to the very bottom.