The number of game fish in Albert Lea Lake has increased dramatically over the last eight years because of favorable weather conditions and nearby fish stocking, fisheries experts say.

Friday, April 20, 2001

The number of game fish in Albert Lea Lake has increased dramatically over the last eight years because of favorable weather conditions and nearby fish stocking, fisheries experts say.

Game fish rose to 1.5 percent of the lake’s fish population in 2000 from 0.3 percent in 1992, according to a 2000 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) lake survey.

Game fish such as walleye, pike, channel catfish and large mouth bass are concentrated in the West bay of the lake, where they dominate the ecological system, said Bob Moody, DNR Fisheries Expert.

Overall, the number of pan fish, like crappie, bluegill and yellow perch, nearly doubled since the 1992 study. Rough fish were tallied at a historic low, making up less than half of the total population for the first time since 1984.

The game fish numbers increase and decrease in ecologically damaging rough fish is probably due to the weather, Moody said.

&uot;The fact that we haven’t had any significant winter kill has sustained the predator population and kept the rough fish in check,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s not just fish floating over the dam. The real thing that’s controlling this is mother nature.&uot;

All the fish except for Walleye and channel catfish are reproducing in the lake, he said.

The data was gathered during a week long netting operation in 2000, and was presented in a lake and stream survey report.