DNR's list of winterkill lakes

[sjburnt]

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[Scott K]

I have noticed they will not feed much if at all. If they are deprived from o2 they usually die anyhow, so you might as well fish em and eatem!

[jakemcarroll]

I'm a newbie so what do you mean by a winterkill lake?

[Carp-fisher]

I think all the winterkill lakes are toast this year. I say if you can catch 'em, keep 'em!

[fisherking01]

Winterkill lakes are ones that are depleted of oxygen causing the fish to die. Some fish like perch and sunfish are extremely sensitive to oxygen depletion. Dieing at oxygen levels of one percent or a bit greater. The fish will not feed at depleted levels, as this requires energy and oxygen. As a survival method they shut down. As far as eating fish, once a lake is depleted of oxygen the taste of the fish is compromised. If a lake is so far gone that the fish's gills turn pink, as opposed to the bright red of healthy fish, I think they are too far gone. They are still safe to eat, however, I beleive the taste is compromised.

At this point in the game, when we reach this oxygen level, we are opportunists. We are not hurting or helping the ecosystem taking the fish for consumption. It's been going on for "ever" and will continue. On a positive note when these waters winterkill, they are extremely fertile and will come back fast. I've been fishing some of these waters and find they are incredible producers in a short time.

For those who have the opportunity to take these fish, be an opportunist, it will not hurt anything! Brent

[ZOOM]

I would also like to say that Winter kill lakes can seem to bounce back very fast much like fisherking say's. I remember as a kid one of the lakes my father would take me to would winter kill once every five years or so and somehow or another we always seemed to catch nice pike and pan fish one or two years later.It's a shallow lake with only a small outlet that I beleave is the restocking method of the lake but it sure bounces back quick.Winter Kill is Natural and should not be viewed as a bad thing. somtimes the natural killing of a lake seems to produce the best fishing and the best habitat a few short years later.

[Perchy]

FYI - an email I received from the MN DNR today...

"More Southern Minnesota lakes experiencing winterkill conditions

Snow and frigid temperatures are combining to make more of southern Minnesota's shallow lakes susceptible to winterkill conditions, prompting the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to open them to liberalized fishing.

Winterkill conditions are created when sunlight is unable to penetrate the ice and oxygen levels in the water drop. Fish are often unable to survive in these low oxygen conditions.

"Rather than just let those fish go to waste, so to speak, we try to give anglers an opportunity to instead harvest as many of them as they want," explained Jack Lauer, acting fisheries manager for the DNR Southern Region at New Ulm.

There are currently 15 lakes open to liberalized fishing with more expected to fall into that category soon, Lauer said. Lakes now open are:

Dora and Pepin in Le Sueur County;

Union in Rice County;

First and Second Fulda in Murray County;

Fremont in Sherburne County;

Graham in Grant County;

Arville, Hoff, Maple, Sellards, Spencer, Towers, and Turtle in Meeker County;

Clear in McLeod County.

Under liberalized fishing regulations, a resident angling license is required and you cannot take fish through the use of seines, hoop nets, fyke nets or explosives. However, fish can be taken in any amount by spear, gillnet or angling. It is legal to sell any rough fish taken.

For the latest information on lakes that are open to liberalized fishing, and for detailed information about those lakes, go to the DNR web site at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us. Click the 'What's New' link at the top of the page and then scroll down to the liberalized fishing link under the 'Now Available On-line' heading."

[LMITOUT]

They must not have updated their HSOforum yet because Clear Lake isn't on their list and possibly a few others that were mentioned above. I read the exact same story in the local newspaper today too.