Mille Lacs Crappie Boom

[Vitreus]

After reading the outdoor section of the paper today, only to find another article about the walleye population in Mille Lacs lake, I can't help but notice the similarity to the Red Lake netting fiasco that occurred in the early 2000s. I'm not an ecologist, but I wonder if there's any merit to this theory...

[DrJuice1980]

Who's to say there hasn't been one going on.....?

[Random guy]

The Upper Red Lake boom was very unique as we had these things in perfect order for the boom to happen.

Very few predators in the lake. This includes walleye, pike, sheephead, adult perch and we do not have smallies.

No fisherman on the lake for the better part of a decade

Surplus of small forage/ perch population stunted at 2” length.

Dead flat calm during the crappie spawn for two- three weeks

High water levels that spring

Perfect water temperatures for two weeks…during high water…during a period with ZERO waves.

It was the perfect storm scenerio for the crappies in the spring of 1996

[ozzie]

so your saying Mille Lacs has a chance.....haha

[Scott M]

Big crappies have always had a small niche in large walleye lakes and probably always will - see Leech Shingobee and other small bays, Mille Lacs Isle and Wahkon bays, Red during the boom and going forward in small doses, Rainy in Black Bay and other small bays, Lake of the Woods NW angle...hit it right and you'll catch your slabs.