Embedded Files
We are learning from our neighbors! Committee members recently met with a long time residents of Deep Lake and Gages Lake and Bangs Lake to learn how they successfully raise funds annually to stock fish and manage excess weeds.
We have raised nearly $3900 so far and plan to raise more next year for the 2027 year stocking. We are consulting with Keystone Hatcheries for advice on how to best allocate the money we are collecting.
We have spent $3200 in purchasing 50 Tiger Muskie, 300 Walleye and 525 Redear sunfish.
They will be released in late October or early November at Cedar Lake Park Association beach on the North side of the lake.
We also are researching ways to reduce the number of carp in the lake and will likely have a carp derby in the spring .
We have gathered a team of Cedar Lake anglers interested in improving the quality of fishing in Cedar Lake. This includes working with the Illinois DNR and a local hatchery to possibly stock fish in Cedar Lake. We will soon be raising funds to stock the lake. We are still researching and asking opinions from the public about the types of fish to stock.
We value input from local anglers to get more information.
Please click here to take our survey.
Please contact us at FOCLLAKECOUNTYIL@gmail.com if you are interested in being a part of the team!
We have been learning some ways to improve the size and numbers of the fish we have in the lake. We believe that we probably have stunting of Bluegills and Largemouth Bass in our lake because we have many small and medium sized fish but not many large fish.
WHAT IS STUNTING?
Fish stunting is a condition where a fish population experiences severely impaired growth and fails to reach its normal adult size. It occurs when a lake's ecosystem becomes unbalanced, triggering intense competition for food and space that causes the fish to stop growing while remaining capable of reproduction.
The Core Causes
Stunting typically stems from a few interconnected ecological factors:
Overcrowding: A massive "year class" or unrestrained reproduction of prey fish (like panfish or bluegill) causes the population to exceed the lake's carrying capacity.
Lack of Predators: Insufficient numbers of apex predators (like largemouth bass) fail to eat and cull the smaller fish, leading to population explosions.
Resource Depletion: High densities mean available food—such as aquatic insects and zooplankton—is quickly depleted. This triggers a "trophic bottleneck" where food becomes severely limiting.
Excessive Vegetation: Thick aquatic weeds provide too much hiding space, allowing small fish to evade predators, survive at higher rates, and multiply.
Learn about Largemouth Bass Stunting and Bluegill Stunting and how to correct it..
Click here to read the article:
Here is an article from Keystone Hatcheries about Bluegill Stunting and recommendations how to solve this problem: Click here to read the article: Bluegill Stunting by Mike Robinson January 27, 2017
31-2-6.pdfPage updated
Google Sites
Report abuse