Lake Management Most Common Questions

Can excessive weed growth in a pond or lake cause poor fishing?

Answer:

Yes, too many weeds can spoil your favorite fishing hole. I know bass and many other game fish like cover, but too much cover makes it difficult to get a lure through to them, and may make it difficult for them to forage. The result can be skinny fish that you can’t get to anyway!

Often excessive vegetation can cause problems for fish, and for fishing. It can in some cases take oxygen from the water. At times plants take in carbon dioxide, and exhale oxygen, but on still evenings, the opposite can happen. Too much vegetation can make it hard for foraging fish like bass to get to their prey, and there are about a dozen other reasons.

The problem could be excessive fertility, or the exact opposite. Too much fertility will cause excessive plant growth, ponds and lakes that receive a lot of runoff from farms, ranches, dairies, or even lawns can have this problem. Too little fertility will prevent algae bloom, and allow the water to become so clear that the sunlight reaches the bottom where most aquatic plants start. In most cases, fertility and water depth are the keys to bringing the lake into balance.

On another front, if you travel from lake to lake to fish, there are some nasty exotic weeds out there that can reproduce themselves from fragments, so please clean your boat, trailer, and other gear before moving on to the next fishing hole. Some of these invaders can reproduce under almost any condition, and could close down your favorite fishing spot if they get a start. Taking care to clean up is good for all of us.

For more details on pond and lake management see:

Lake management

Lake advice

Help! My pond is covered in algae (pond scum)! What can I do?

Answer:

This is a pretty common problem, and with the numbers of e mails we have been getting on the subject, we thought we would respond on the blog. Please read the last part, it is the most important part.

Algae or pond scum treatment

The best method for treating algae is to use a combination of  diquat and a  liquid copper product at a rate of about a gallon per acre (depending on the product) of each. If the coverage is heavy, the treatment should be limited to about 1/3 of the area, giving the first treatment long enough to work and long enough for the algae to drop and degrade before making a second application. If you don’t allow the waiting period, you could kill fish due to lack of oxygen caused by decomposing algae.

Follow the label directions!

Follow the label directions carefully, because the label is the law, and following the directions will give the best results.

Preventing future problems:The most important part

The most important thing to do, is after the algae is gone, something should be done to prevent further problems. This link should help: http://homeandgardenpress.com/category/lake-management/ there is a lot of information on pond and lake management there and it will make the job easier.

Share on Facebook