The decline of our lakes.

[jbmaine]

Hi All,

The missus and I spend most of our time fishing a few different lakes, and the last few years we have watched almost all of them decline in terms of fishing, water quality, aquatic life to the point it's getting down right discouraging.

 Today I'll talk about two of them.

The first lake is about 1000 acres. This lake has special meaning to me as we had a camp on it when I was a kid. I learned to fish on this lake over 65 years ago. This lake was a gem. 20 years ago we we could easily catch twenty or more LM a day. We used to fish the morning, stop for lunch, go for a swim, then fish some more before heading home. There were frogs and turtles everywhere. Around 2008 the lake had bad spring flooding. That summer the lake exploded with massive weed growth. By mid summer there were " rafts" of weeds floating on the surface. We thought of the term Sargasso to describe them. The water clarity disappeared and was full of particulates. Within a couple of years the fishing really fell off. It was so bad we barely fished it. By 2017 however it seemed the lake was starting to come back. We had a couple of good years there. Then Hit Covid . Our Governor implored everyone to take advantage and enjoy the outdoors, and boy did they. Some years before the state had put a really large public launch on this lake and wow does it get used. Today the missus and I won't go near it after Memorial day or before Labor day. Every weekend all summer long this lake gets over fifty additional boats on it. On some weekends the launch gets full by 9AM and the overflow parks all down the road. The fishing is iffy at best, the water quality is awful, ( we wouldn't swim in it now if you paid us) and we haven't seen a frog or turtle in years. I don't see this lake coming back.

   The second lake-- Also about 1000 acres.  This has been a great SM lake. We've got a lot of really good fish out of this lake over the years. One of the things the wife and I like to do is cruise around the lake during the spawn to see how many beds there are, to see how healthy the lake looks in term of SM. For a number of years there was no change. We saw hundreds of beds every Spring. But, starting three years ago the number of beds started declining. This year I don't think there was much of a spawn at all, we've only seen a handful of beds all along the lake. The water clarity is down to about half of what it was and so far no frogs or turtles at all this year. This lake is also becoming popular with the well to do. Last few years more seasonal camps are being sold and replaced with " mansions" Well, thanks for letting me vent. Here's a couple of " mansion" pics from yesterday. These are personal homes, not lodges.

 

 

    

[Americanzero]

Unfortunately, that is all part of what happens when folks with more dollars than sense buy into these lakes. They disturb the shoreline, they put in grass that needs constant fertilization, they run wake boats that stir up silt constantly, the list goes on. All of that leads up to less wildlife, poor water quality, and turbocharged algae and grass growth. That is one thing Maine really has failed at: protecting what made the rich folks want to be there in the first place. 

[Choporoz]

😓 Was a time some 50 years ago when I thought Big Yellow Taxi was for hippies and tree-huggers.   I was wrong ... and it is as relevant today as it was then

[king fisher]

In my life, I have had the unfortunate experience of witnessing the decline of many fisheries.  All went down hill to a variety of reasons, and a couple I have to admit, I contributed to the decline.  I was fortunate enough to have fished some of the places at the very peak of the fishery,( "the good old days").

 

It hasn't all been doom and gloom.  I have been lucky enough to see fishing steadily improve for over 30 years on a couple of my favorite fishing holes.  I also am lucky enough to have discovered places where the fishing is at it's peak right now.  One place is starting to slide, but I'm hoping to   find a new lake to replace it.

 

No matter how bad the fishing gets, nothing can remove the memories I have of the glory days and I do my best to enjoy today, because I know today may be the glory day I look back on many years from now.

 

The slow death of a great fishing hole, is a very painful experience.  I hope that you can still enjoy many more days fishing, while at the same time cherish the memories of your two favorites from the past.

 

 

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, Americanzero said:

protecting what made the rich folks want to be there in the first place.

 

^This!^

 

You all know that I bought five acres of pondfront. If I were to build, I'd build a less than 1,000 square foot home at least 250' from the shore because development is the number one predictor of water quality. The EPA says that leach fields last 15 to 40 years. So, after merely 15 years, a leach field might be incrementally failing. I'm guessing that there are tens of thousands of failing leach fields abutting Maine's ponds and lakes. Atop that are the jet skis, fertilizers, and wake boats that @Americanzero noted. Sigh.

 

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

Was a time some 50 years ago when I thought Big Yellow Taxi was for hippies and tree-huggers. 

 

^This^ too.

 

1 hour ago, jbmaine said:

we haven't seen a frog or turtle in years.

 

Frogs are the canaries in the coal mine. JB, I fish two ponds in Maine that have zero development. The frog song is soooooo loud at those two lakes that it hurts my ears. 

[gim]

I think many of us have seen this.  Its not necessarily just occuring in one state, one area, or on one particular lake/river.

 

It could be a lot worse.  Go visit a third world country in southeast Asia and you'll see what they consider to be a river there.

 

I often consider myself fortunate to live in the land of 10,000 lakes and even though I can only fish them for about 6 months of open water with limited open seasons, I'm extremely grateful for the opportunities presented.  We're not immune to shoreline erosion from wake boats or manicured lawns with fertilizer runoff, but if I time it properly I can generally avoid most of the inconveniences that ruin an outing.  Fishing is still pretty good too.  I try to avoid lakes with heavy tournament pressure if possible.

 

I've also seen the return of natural buffers to some waterways in recent years, especially in rural agriculture country.  Minnesota passed a state law about 10 years ago that requires buffer strips of natural vegetation along rivers, streams, creeks, canals, and ditches that was phased in over time.  It has made a tremendous difference in water quality and added hundreds of miles of available habitat for wildlife and natural pollinators.  But it took balls by politicians to take on Big Agriculture.  Big Ag has a lot of power here in the Midwest.  Farmers want to plant row crops right up to the water and this law requires them to take that land out of production.  They don't like that.

[Americanzero]

8 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

I've also seen the return of natural buffers to some waterways in recent years, especially in rural agriculture country.  Minnesota passed a state law about 10 years ago that requires buffer strips of natural vegetation along rivers, streams, creeks, canals, and ditches that was phased in over time.  It has made a tremendous difference in water quality and added hundreds of miles of available habitat for wildlife and natural pollinators.  But it took balls by politicians to take on Big Agriculture.  Big Ag has a lot of power here in the Midwest.  Farmers want to plant row crops right up to the water and this law requires them to take that land out of production.  They don't like that.

And what’s crazy is that in a lot of places and cases, programs are in place to pay AG *more* to leave the buffer wild than they could squeeze out of it with row crops. Yet still they fought against it

[gim]

2 minutes ago, Americanzero said:

And what’s crazy is that in a lot of places and cases, programs are in place to pay AG *more* to leave the buffer wild than they could squeeze out of it with row crops. Yet still they fought against it

 

If a state like Iowa implemented mandatory buffer strips, their pheasant and quail numbers would explode.  And their water quality would greatly improve too.  Their rivers are plum full of nitrates from agricultural runoff and its very expensive to treat it.

 

But as I stated, it takes political will.  Minnesota passed theirs with divided government; a democratic governor and a conservative state legislature.

[Glenn]

 

[Craig P]

I won’t say that lakes near me (SE PA) have suffered quality, arguments could be made….. but they have severely suffered pressure since Covid and a peaceful day fishing from a boat is hard to find now.

 

Today being Tuesday, one would think you could get to the lake mid-morning and fish peacefully into the afternoon.  Not so, Waverunners, Wake Boats and Skiers are on the water by 9am now, sometimes even earlier.  Many people in Gov’t and Fortune 100 companies are still “working” from home a portion of the week.  That looks like it is finally coming to an end in some sectors at least.

 

I suppose you can look at it as it can only get better from here right?  Right?  Please someone say Right!   I only have so much hair left!

[Choporoz]

We’re saddened… and outraged… and puzzled…

But, I find it interesting to contemplate how far in the minority we are.  How many of those new homeowners/landowners share your concerns?  Not that they’d dispute them – but that they don’t share them.  I hate it, but it doesn’t mean I’m more right.

 

When my wife and I were honing in on an area to retire, we visited a county with two 3000+ acre lakes to choose from:

First lake has beautiful homes, large boat houses and docks with lifts.  Perfect ‘recreational lake’ for many.

 

Second lake shoreline is owned by the power company.  Homeowners cannot clear land or build within hundreds of feet of lake.  Docks are limited to old pontoon boats stripped to the deck and tied to a couple trees.  People routinely bemoan lack of control of their ‘own shoreline’, or inability to build a nice dock.

 

I don’t have to tell you which lake we chose.  But, I fully acknowledge that while many might say, ‘gee, this lake is pretty’, or ‘look at all the trees’, few of them might willingly choose to live on our lake, over the other.

 

So, I guess what I’m saying is that while the problem is so obvious to us, we have a huge communication hurdle to convince non ‘outdoorsmen and women’ that there is any sort of problem at all.  How do you explain bad lake management to people that are genuinely happy with the way they are managed?

 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

^^^Bingo......we are in the extreme minority, nobody except Bass anglers like aquatic grass, and states are hellbent on destroying it.     

 

Public lakes are managed for the majority not the minority.   We need to educate the public how aquatic habitat like weeds doesn't just help the Bass.....it's the nurseries for countless other critters and fish, not to mention it clarifies the lake and increases the fertility of water.  

[Woody B]

Lakes go through stages and changes even without human intervention.  Dammed lakes fill up with sand/silt over the years.   Before the dam the sand/silt just continued down the river.  As a lake fills in channels are lost and even structure gets covered/lost.   This affects water clarity, which can reduce aquatic vegetation.   

 

This is (with the exception of building the dam) stuff that happens without human influence.   Nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen are by products of humans.   A by product of these "nutrients" is often harmful algae blooms.   The government and land owners killing all the vegetation they can, as well as the introduction of Carp to control vegetation is harmful for most aquatic life also.  

 

I think "pleasure" boat traffic might actually be helpful to some extent.  The waves oxygenate the water.  That doesn't mean I enjoy being rocked by wake boat waves, or having jet skis zipping around though.   

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, Choporoz said:

How many of those new homeowners/landowners share your concerns?  Not that they’d dispute them – but that they don’t share them.

 

Yes, many landowners believe that if they bought it, they're free to do whatever they want. They don't see themselves as caretakers. The last property I owned, I worked with a Maine forester to restore the diversity of the woods, to plant the missing indigenous trees because...I'm a caretaker. I know I'll be worm's meat in a few decades. I want to leave things a bit better than I found them. For example, I'll be planting blight-proof chestnut trees on my lakefront property next year because it's arguably the most important tree for an eastern forest, as it feeds so many critters, from turkeys to bears. 

 

2 hours ago, Choporoz said:

I don’t have to tell you which lake we chose. 

 

I would have chosen the same lake. There's a lake near me that's crowded in the same way as the lake you didn't choose. I saw an old cabin for sale on that lake on half an acre listed at $2.2 million. On my 169-acre pond, with wetlands on three sides, I paid $75,000 for five acres. When I asked the realtor why it sold for far, FAR less than it would have on the developed lake, she said that that's what people want: docks, ski boats, jet skis, etc. People are nuts.

 

 

[Susky River Rat]

I can tell you that the susky has improved over the last 15 years. However the pressure has got more intense. Which I think most of PA has an insane amount of pressure. 

[TOXIC]

I’ve posted about the lake I guided on for over 15 years being slammed with development and recently having a waterborne EColi outbreak that put a number of children in the hospital on dialysis, swimming restrictions due to harmful algae bloom (HAB) map attached, drownings due to stray current from boat docks, boating accident deaths, and just an overall overpopulated, dangerous lake.  Likewise, I am heading to Wisconsin in a couple of weeks to vacation in a cottage on a chain of 20+ Lakes and I’m leaving my boat at home.  Why?  Because they sprayed the lakes 5 years ago and killed the fishing.  Not worth the extra cost and hassle of pulling my rig 2 days to fish. 

[SC53]

Come on down to Florida if you want to see what they’ve done to our lakes and rivers.  It’s a shell of what it once was.  Development, constant indiscriminate spraying of chemicals, fertilizer and chemical runoff, the list goes on and on. 😢

[AlabamaSpothunter]

2 minutes ago, SC53 said:

Come on down to Florida if you want to see what they’ve done to our lakes and rivers.  It’s a shell of what it once was.  Development, constant indiscriminate spraying of chemicals, fertilizer and chemical runoff, the list goes on and on. 😢

Hopefully Scott Martin's group AFLO or Angler's for Lake Okeechobee gets the attention of Florida lawmakers.   

 

Okeechobee's story is especially tragic because it's a natural lake, as humans we have no right to destroy that lake!   

[roadwarrior]

The reservoirs of the Tennessee River have IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY over the past

twenty years.  Pickwick was known locally as the Dead Sea a few decades ago. Today

some of us are hunting the next world record smallmouth!

 

[SC53]

50 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Hopefully Scott Martin's group AFLO or Angler's for Lake Okeechobee gets the attention of Florida lawmakers.   

 

Okeechobee's story is especially tragic because it's a natural lake, as humans we have no right to destroy that lake!   

But that’s only lake okeechobee that he’s involved with.

Most all the lakes in Florida are natural. probably 90%. 

We have a group trying to restore the St John’s river but so much damage has been done it’s going to take years to fix it.  And that’s only if we can stop the spraying.  We will never win against the developments, there’s too much money involved.

[Columbia Craw]

The greatest threat to any fishery are people who don’t fish and government lead agencies who think they know what’s best.

[BrianMDTX]

I see this locally in the ponds I fish. The one that’s a 1/4 mile away in 2020-2022 was so good. I semi-sarcastically posted on this very site at one time that I was getting tired of catching 3 lb. bass. Since then it’s been steadily downhill. The pandemic brought many new anglers (most of which use live bait and small hooks and likely gut hook a lot of bass), and I believe many started keeping fish when it’s a C&R-only pond. That, and a drought caused a lot of the overhanging trees to die that took away a lot of cover. A “bad” day was less than 10 bass in a morning. Lately it’s 1, 2 or 3 bass at most. I’ve really cut back on my trips there. 

[A-Jay]

The decline of lakes - must be a real thing as it's a often a recent topic of conversation here and in other formats.

But like so many deals fishing, location and timing plays such a huge role.

I can say that I have personally Not seen a decline in habits or the quality of fishing in very many lakes I fish here. 

The one caveat to that is when they chose to kill the weeds on a lake,

and they have on at least two or three,   I never fish it again.

Because it's just never the same again. 

Luckily I have plenty of water to chose from. 

A-Jay

 

[Swamp Girl]

@A-Jay: Andy, I fear that your paradise might be lost in your lifetime, as I fear the same for me. Maine led the nation in the per capita uptick in population last year and the northeast has the nation's strongest housing market as people understandably move north to escape heat. Michigan and especially northern Michigan, has the same advantages as Maine, with its relatively cool inland seas and a bounty of land. 

[Tennessee Boy]

As a child I remember fishing on the bank of the Duck river and watching the water go from clear to extremely muddy in a matter of minutes.  A phosphate company a few miles upstream was to blame.   It happened regularly.  That would be illegal today and the phosphate facility is gone.  Also upstream from there was a Hooker Chemical plant.  It's gone now and their settling ponds are now fishing ponds run by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.  Upstream a little further was a Monsanto plant.  It is now gone but people seem to stay away from the land where it was located.  Most of the waters I fish today were nasty 50 years ago from all of the stuff that was dumped into them.  It's much better now and I'm grateful for that.