West Minnow Lake
What do you get when you combine 6.2 surface acres and 4.8 surface acres? 18 surface acres!
No, this isn't new math - it is the combination of two of the smallest lakes on the property. The work done to combine West and Minnow Lakes resulted in an increase of 7 surface acres of water in that area. What a gain! Both lakes were maintained with the goal of growing trophy bass. In June of 2010, a dam was constructed at the northeastern-most leg of Minnow Lake. In July, erosion control blankets were laid over the newly built dam and the area was seeded with bromegrass. You can see pictures of the dam below.
2013 Evaluation
2010 Evaluation
West Lake:
1. Remove muskies from lake.
2. Stock Northern Pike in 2012
3. Stock Arkansas Bass (25 lbs of Broodstock stocked 10/2010)
4. Add pea gravel (one truckload, added 7/15/2010)
5. Focus on removing small bass. Harvest LMB less than 15” as caught.
Minnow Lake:
1. Stock Gizzard Shad (full load - completed 7/1)
2. Stock Tiger Muskies (5 tiger muskies) (Stocked 11/2010)
3. Stock 25 lbs of Shiners
4. Dam raised, lake filling
5. Clear trees to create boat launch
6. Stocked with bass from North Lake (2010)
West Lake and Minnow Lake Bathymetric Maps
No, this isn't new math - it is the combination of two of the smallest lakes on the property. The work done to combine West and Minnow Lakes resulted in an increase of 7 surface acres of water in that area. What a gain! Both lakes were maintained with the goal of growing trophy bass. In June of 2010, a dam was constructed at the northeastern-most leg of Minnow Lake. In July, erosion control blankets were laid over the newly built dam and the area was seeded with bromegrass. You can see pictures of the dam below.
2013 Evaluation
- We have more smaller bluegill and the health of the bass is better. This is the relationship we want to see more of. This is also a great sign being that this lake is designed to grow big bass. The bass fishing should be good this year and should continue to improve. We stocked a lot of gizzard shad into this lake and did shock one as well. This will also aid in the goal of trophy largemouth bass.
- The average size of the bass sampled was 14.4”, 1.83 lbs, and the average relative weight of the bass was 95%. This relative weight indicates that the bass are doing quite well.
- As with several other lakes please do not allow any bluegill harvest. We will need them to continue to out compete the green sunfish.
- For this lake and wanting the fertilizer to go into phytoplankton I think we need to stock 54 grass carp 3/acre.
2010 Evaluation
West Lake:
1. Remove muskies from lake.
2. Stock Northern Pike in 2012
3. Stock Arkansas Bass (25 lbs of Broodstock stocked 10/2010)
4. Add pea gravel (one truckload, added 7/15/2010)
5. Focus on removing small bass. Harvest LMB less than 15” as caught.
Minnow Lake:
1. Stock Gizzard Shad (full load - completed 7/1)
2. Stock Tiger Muskies (5 tiger muskies) (Stocked 11/2010)
3. Stock 25 lbs of Shiners
4. Dam raised, lake filling
5. Clear trees to create boat launch
6. Stocked with bass from North Lake (2010)
West Lake and Minnow Lake Bathymetric Maps
Minnow Lake dam - built summer 2010
Minnow Lake dam - with erosion blankets and seeded - July2010
