Winterkill

[Craig Plummer]

Is there a way to tell if a lake is experiencing winterkill or is it just a wait and see approach? My lake X Is a small lake and shallow 10 ft max with no aeration. I know its prone to winterkill but I'm praying that it doesn't cause I love that lake.

[Mark Christianson]

Call your area fisheries office and find out if they have been checking the dissolved oxygen levels there or in similar lakes.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Some winterkill isn't always a bad thing... Lakes that are prone to winterkill usully support a decent population of bigger fish.

[PerchPounder]

The DNR usually keeps a pretty close eye on the lakes and usually have a list posted online or signs posted at the lake. Winterkill isn't always bad it can sometimes be a blessing in disguise and could only be a matter of a year before the fishery is actually better than it was before it froze out.

[Craig Plummer]

Well I really got into bass fishing this last summer and fell in love with the lake. there was a large population of 3-5 lbs Bass and 6-8 lbs northerns, with lots of ok sunnies and crappies. I was looking forward to fishing it again this summer and was hoping it was like last year

[Scott M]

Buy a YSI O2 probe or a BOD jar. J/K. If it has a public access, the local fisheries office may know.

This is going to be a big year for winterkills because of the early snow and recently, the somewhat thicker ice. If it persists into March, we have the ingredients for winterkill. And unless that 10' lake is shore to shore vegetation, its a huge winterkill candidate. You can tell we are in for a year with lots of winterkill because of all the lakes with promiscuous (open or unlimited) fishing already open.

As Deitz said, winterkills can be good for lakes to drive down density dependence and keep growth rates strong.

[FishOn!]

It can be great for panfish for sure. btu probably 2-3 years from now. Sucks waiting when its your favorite lake! It happens to me as well every few winters. As for the bass and northerns, might take a while longer to recover.

[Scott M]

winterkill doesn't always kill 100% of any particular age class. If it does, then yes, you will have to wait 2-3 years. If it doesn't, good fishing begins this spring and summer!

[Roosterslayer05]

I noticed in 04 when i suspect the oxygen levels started geting low in the small lake I fish the crappies moved to the top of the ice and I was catching them 2 inches to 1 foot under the ice in about 20 FOW. I know this lake will winterkill this year and my buddy went out there two weeks ago and dident mark a fish in multiple spots where we always mark tons of fish. He drilled 50 holes and this lake is small so he would have stumbled on something. He dident know about the bite I had in 04 just under the ice so he dident try it. Do the crappies move to the top of the ice when the oxygen levels get low or do you guys think the fish have already died?

[Brunsvig_slayer]

you would think though if all of those fished died, your buddy would have noticed some fish maybe coming out of the hole or he might has smelled dead fish when he drill those 50 holes.