Calendar
| Sept 4 - Oct 31 | Fall office hours, open Wednesday & Saturday mornings |
| Oct 31 | Fishing season closes and boats must be removed from all the lakes |
Headlines
- Fall stocking will be late Sept / early October
- All boats must be removed from the lakes by Oct 31
- Dues remain the same as last year
Water Status - The large snow in March was a big help in our quest to fill the lakes this spring. We started running water in early April and filled all the lakes by early June. We topped off a few of the lakes a second time but ultimately June was very dry bringing an end to the runoff. The lakes had their usual evaporation during the summer months, but were helped by several significant rainstorms. We'll do our usual winter preparation in September by drawing down Hiawatha to fill Letitia, Snake, and Ramona.
Fishing Status - We've had a good first half of the season, with many reports of large fish caught at all the lakes. Fishing had its usual slow down in August due to warmer water, but as all our anglers know, fall fishing can be excellent. We again are stocking fish (12-15" rainbows, >3 lb. trophies, and palominos) from Crystal Springs Trout Farm. These were placed in all the lakes except Shagwa. The ratios stocked are 65% rainbows, 25% trophies, and 10% palominos. We also stocked some more Donaldson trout at Shagwa and put in 500 lbs. of fathead minnows at Nokomis. Idea being to further supplement the growth of the fish in Nokomis. As we always do, we tune the number of fish based on the fish kept at the lakes. This is why it's so important to help our patrol staff know how many fish you're catching and keeping. Last summer we stocked a double load at Snake and this spring we stocked a double load at Letitia and one and half loads at Apache. Similarly, we stocked only a half load at Nokomis as that fishery is reaching its optimum capacity. We post a stocking report in the office window so please check there for the latest stocking information. In late June we stocked 570 (very expensive) browns into Erie and 400 (also very expensive) Tiger trout in Nokomis. We continue stocking Nokomis with aggressive trout as a way to manage the perch. It'll take a few years to bring the perch under control, but just like Apache, we know this approach works. You can help us by removing any perch you catch (they do not count towards your possession limit). Our next stocking will be in late September / early October. Overall, the 2024 fishing season has been very good - we hope you have a successful fall fishing!
2024 Fall Projects - We plan to do several small maintenance projects this fall - work at the upper Mitchell headgate and Elkhorn headgate, and cleanout the toe drains at all the lakes.
Boat Removal - We'll once again remove boats from all five boating lakes - Apache, Erie, Hiawatha, Letitia, and Nokomis. We'll send a letter by early October, to any registered boat owner advising them to take action by Oct 31. Boat owners can do one of the following:
- The boat owner takes their boat home by Oct 31
- If an owner needs help removing their boat, we may have a couple sources you can pay to have your boat moved to your RF property
- A boat owner can pay $150 to store their boat at the lake for the winter
We appreciate your help in keeping our lake shores clean.