Unusual lake bottom

[My_Key]

I bought an underwater camera within the last month and this past week I was out fishing a local lake. I noticed the bottom of the lake has unusual "craters" scattered about. They almost looked like spawning beds. The bottom of the lake was very soft, I stuck a Fatmax tape measure down the hole and jammed it in a foot deep in the muck. I've used the cam a few other lakes, and haven't encountered anything that is even close to this.

Anyone have an idea what caused the craters? I wish I had pictures to post.

One more note, it was in 14 feet of water, and that is pretty close to max depth.

[RumRiverRat]

Sharks with laser beams on their heads?

[mn_bowhunter]

maybe gas pockets were released?

[jentz]

Clams wintering deep and in mud/muck,even in spring summer while diving we find those craters and most times digging them find there are clams

[zepman]

springs?

[Ed Carlson]

The extremely loamy bottom and the consistent craters lead me to say gassing or water/springs leaking upwards from below. Decaying matter below producing gas, something on that order.

If it were critters it would be riddled with inconsistencies and other trails due to the loamy bottom.

I have seen this in areas with Methane seepage and/or natural strings....even on rivers.

[BucksnDucks]

I've come to believe its quite common, when your referring to "craters" is the depth change roughly about 1 foot or so? I've seen alot of that, I think its jus most likely caused in softer bottom areas in shallower water that wave action could affect it. Look at the areas above the water not all land is perfectly level so a dip in elevation of a foot or so isnt uncommon.

[broken_line]

like this?

[My_Key]

yes, very similar to that

[slurpie]

i WOULD SAY SPRINGS.

[Finlander]

Sandworms!

[jnorm1984]

looks to me like old spawning beds, I think ur right...In that deep of water the sites arn't gona be disturbed....id hit the same area come spring...........

[Dan189]

im 70% sure that thats da aliens

[RumRiverRat]

Sandworms!

Graboids?

[BRULEDRIFTER]

It's not going to be spawning beds in that deep of water.

[tjbassmaster]

I think its the carp that do it.

[Chris Haley]

I think it's fish also. Maybe Carp like said earlier. Without something to compare for a size idea, it could have been Perch. In mud, Perch will suspend over pockets of insects in the mud and blow water downward causing the mud (and insects) to be dislodged and blown upward. They then feed and repeat the process. If there were enough insects there and a larger school came through, multiple Perch could have caused the craters by working together.

[Big Dave2]

Red lake seals.

[B@ssmaster]

Two winters back I watched smallies (using my camera) diving into the muck up to their pec fins and come out chewing. Some form of fish feeding activity is my bet........ Gotta be leaving some marks in the muck doing that...

[broken_line]

id also say carp/ rough fish.