Fact or Fiction?

[big musk411]

A guy at a bar was telling me that the catfish were stocked about 20 years ago above the Coon Rapids Dam. Is this true? I would assume the fish are native.

[Guest]

fiction

[Maashkinoozhe]

I was wondering about that too, so I did a little research - I have a book last published in 1974 called "Northern Fishes" by Samuel Eddy and James C. Underhill. They were both professors of zoology at the University of Minnesota and they compiled a huge collection of fish specimens at the James Ford Bell Museum, and kept records as to where fish were sampled.

On channel catfish (p.299):

"We have not taken channel catfish above St. Anthony Falls."

On flathead catfish (p.306-307):

"This catfish is common in Lake St. Croix, in the Minnesota River, and in the Mississippi River southward from St. Anthony Falls. It is not known from the Mississippi River north of St. Anthony Falls or from the St. Croix River above Taylors Falls. The power dam at Taylors Falls prevents the upstream migration of the fish at present..."

I also checked this HSOforum:

http://www.gen.umn.edu/research/fish/fishes/distribution_table.html

and a Distribution Table of MN fishes indicates that both channels and flatheads were introduced to the Upper Mississippi (the Upper Miss meaning above St. Anthony Falls).

So channels and flatheads, while being native to MN, were apparently not native to the ol' Miss above downtown Mpls.

Dave D.

[Guest]

So in 1975 when the state record channel was caught a mile above the dam.. that fish was stocked that size? My family used to catch channel cats in the boom island area way back in the day and they had success(50's-60's).

What year did the locks get put in? That would be your answer to when the channel cats made it into that section of the pool at the latest possible date if they werent already there..

That still wouldnt explain why there is such a great population above the coon rapids dam. Channel cats may be efficient spawners.. but how much of a population can you expect in 30 years over such a huge section of the river.

You cant believe everything you read.

We are starting to get a few flathead cats making their way above the upper st anthony dam now where there were none 10 years ago.

[rushing]

I dunno but that fish distribution chart seems alittle fishy. It says, brook trout can be found in the Minnesota River.

[Guest]

Thats funny rushing

According to that chart we dont have any sheephead in the Mississippi river either.

My dad used to have a big lake map book around that had many metro waters in it... it said Calhoun had Brook trout, Brown trout, and Lakers??? Maybe these guys were the author of the book.

That chart is useless and as innacurate as it can be.

[Dennis Steele]

You can once in a great while find a trout in the MN River.

I know of three creeks that run into the river that have trout in them and one backwater lake that has trout. A lot of years the river floods that backwater.

Talking to some of the old timers, they say they have caught trout at the mouths of these creeks while fishing for walleye.

One stream that enters the river is a favorite spring time flatty spot of mine. I can bet a flatty has taken a trout or two there!

[rushing]

Yeah I have no doubt at certain times you can find a stray rainbow or brown trout in the minnesota river, but brook trout, which are technically a char are only found in the coldest, cleanest waters of the state which is why I highly doubt you would ever find one in the Minnesota river. My guess is you are more likely to find a blue cat in the Mn before a brook trout. Even in a spring creek you'll only usually find them in the headwaters sections where where its the coldest.

[Maashkinoozhe]

The chart show drainage basins, not just the rivers themselves. The tributaries are considered along with the rivers, so the populations of fish dumping in the the MN river are included. The trout Dennis talked about don't have to be actually in the MN River, though I have no doubt when the streams run cold, they may wander a wee bit into the MN River.

Dave D.

[rushing]

Dave - If you enjoy reading and learning about Minnesota's rivers I can recommend a great book. The Streams And Rivers Of Minnesota by Thomas F. Waters. This book breaks down every drainage in Minnesota. It includes the geology, history, wildlife, plant life, and fisheries of them. Its a great book and very interesting. I learned alot from it. Tom Waters is or was a Professor of Fisheries at the UofM

[Maashkinoozhe]

Thanks, Rushing, I'll definitely get that book!

Dave