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Posts: 202
| Just got off the phone with Doug Welch who is the fisheries Biologist for southeastern Wisconsin. He is in the works at trying to get support for stocking muskies in Lake Geneva (Walworth county). What do you guys think? Any feedback can be emailed to Doug Welch at [email protected]
He would like everyones feedback on this and the reasons for you support or not.
Doug Kloet
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Posts: 186
Location: West Chicago, IL | I can not think of a more fantastic lake in Wisconsin to stock.
All I can say is PLEASE use leech lake fish!!
E-mail has been sent! |
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| Let's see...
-strong and growing pike populations.
-strong large and smallmouth bass populations.
-so crazy crowded with pleasure boaters that you basically cannot fish after 9AM any weekend after Memorial Day and probably until mid to late September.
Sounds like a great plan! Go put baby muskies in to be lunchables for big pike and bass onto a lake you probably can't fish anyways because of the crowds! Why not just go buy suckers to feed the pike and bass. You know, get some in that 4-6" range and let the predators go wild.
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Posts: 8834
| It would be a zoo on weekends, but think of the quality of fish Lake Geneva could produce...
On a side note, isn't it funny how a muskie club from IL puts so many fish into WI? And they never seem to thank us when we're up there... |
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Posts: 956
Location: Home of the 2016 World Series Champion Cubs | Wouldnt the pike population being what it is be too detrimental to the stocking and potetial reproduction of muskies in Geneva? |
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| Lunchables - 10/10/2008 3:44 PM
Let's see...
-strong and growing pike populations.
-strong large and smallmouth bass populations.
-so crazy crowded with pleasure boaters that you basically cannot fish after 9AM any weekend after Memorial Day and probably until mid to late September.
Sounds like a great plan!
Where do you think you are going to find a local metro lake that doesn't fit this profile? I do agree that the small fingerlings will be food in that lake. Same was true with Tonka until TC chapter started using 2yr olds. Can you guys use 2yr olds? |
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Posts: 203
Location: Germantown, WI | I can see why some would think it might be a good idea to stock muskies in Lake Geneva. Deep water and a good forage base. Yeah predation on stocked musy fingerlings will occur, but there are a lot of Bass and Northerns in Okauchee and that is a good musky fishery. We don't have any reason to believe that natural musky reproduction/recruitment will occur since it does not seem to occur anywhere else in Southern Wisconsin.
As far as boating pressure, I don't boat on Geneva, but I can say that the other lakes I fish in Southern Wisconsin have plenty of boating pressure. That is why I now do most of my local musky fishing before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. How about night fishing? Geneva has clear water doesn't it? It should be a good night fishing lake.
The thing that gives me pause is the size of the lake. I wonder if it is possible to stock enough muskies in there to make a population worth fishing for. I know that it is theoretically possible, but is it practical? The DNR usually does not stock more that 2500 muskies in any lake in any given year, unless there are surplus muskies to distribute from the hatcheries. Club stocking alone is unlikely to create a quality fishery because buying muskies is cost prohibitive beyond a few hundred a year. The DNR has been stocking Big Green Lake for a number of years now and by most accounts it is a pretty low density fishery.
Stocking Lake Geneva in my opinion could very well result in a low density fishery with significant trophy potential. If that is what the DNR and the musky clubs involved are looking to establish then I see no problem with it. I'm sure there will be resistance from the bass, walleye and panfish folks. That is to be expected. |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | Lake Geneva is big and deep! Require lot of muskies and cost is high! I think same amount of muskies into 3 lakes around Lake Geneva would be better than just one large lake as Lake Geneva!
I am not sure which 3 lakes but just make sure that we able to fish there as public ramp and park!
Delavan , Silver plus 3 new lakes total 5 muskie lakes less than 2 hours from Chicago area would be cool! |
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Posts: 8834
| ILmuksie, our club stocks Delavan every year. |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | esoxaddict - 10/10/2008 3:44 PM
On a side note, isn't it funny how a muskie club from IL puts so many fish into WI? And they never seem to thank us when we're up there...
Lake Geneva is not Wisconsin Jeff ... it's part of the "occupied territory" |
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Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | it`s like this,if the rich want muskies in that lake,they will get them,if they don`t,no way it will pass.I say no because chances of the lake being great for muskies are slim,put more in delavan,thats the fishermans lake in the area. |
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Posts: 556
| This is a great fishing lake, and I can only Imagine the trophys that could come out of it. The think I hate about the lake is the boat traffic--but it can be fished at night very successfully---But the cost to launch is insane!! If they are going to use any state funds to stock it then they have got to come up with a way for anglers to access it without it costing them an arm and a leg. If they use private club funds then what can be said----Even with the cost I would still give it a shot---That lake grows awesome fish of all species in it. |
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Posts: 40
Location: United States | esoxaddict - 10/10/2008 6:56 PM
ILmuksie, our club stocks Delavan every year.
Which club and how many per year?
P.S. - Thanks. My family has had a cabin on the lake for years. I for one, would love to see Delavan turn into a good muskie lake. |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | I like to know how many muskie in Delavan every year? Wisconsin rated it as Class C but I think new update that would be Class B! Do they have rent a boat? I plan to get my own 14 ft boat soon!
Add 3 more new muskie lakes around Lake Geneva would be nice! |
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Location: searchin for 50 | what jonnysled said |
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Location: oswego, il | Fox River Valley has been working with Doug Welch for a couple years now getting more muskies into delevan and muskies into lake geneva. You can thank muskyboy for his dilligence on this. We have not directly stocked but have put money towards other areas to get this to happen. The main reason we went north is because we could not stock fish anywhere in illinois without the dnr taking fish away, thus resulting in the same number of fish stocked. We would hwever stock fish in shabbona if the state does not meet their quota in that lake. |
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Posts: 202
| Here is some more information about Doug Welch proposed introduction of muskies into Lake Geneva. This gives a lot of great information about the lake.
Doug Kloet
Doug Welch would like to introduce muskellunge into Geneva Lake. In order to do this he needs to complete an Internal Analysis of Proposed Fish Introduction through Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Channels. Part of the process includes getting input from fishing clubs.
His purpose in introducing musky into Geneva Lake is primarily to provide an additional angling opportunity within my management area (Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha Counties). Other benefits include the addition of another predator that would add stability to the fish community and help control rough fish like carp. There is also the potential for natural reproduction.
Another important consideration for me is that such an introduction not negatively impact other fish species in the lake. His experience with musky stocking has led him to believe that such populations have little or no negative impact on fish communities. He stocks Silver Lake (464 acres), and Delavan Lake (2,072 acres) every year at the rate of 2 - 4 fingerlings per acre and have seen no impact to other species. Geneva Lake is 5,262 acres and supports naturally reproducing populations of smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, northern pike, grass pickeral, bluegill, crappie, yellow perch, rock bass, pumpkinseed, white bass, mimic shiner, white sucker, bowfin, golden shiner, bluntnose minnow, fathead minnow, creek chub, banded killifish, iowa darter, least darter, bullhead, and carp. Stocked fish are walleye, lake trout, and brown trout. Cisco are also present. Geneva Lake's size, water quality, and diversity of fish species all point to its ability to support good survival and growth of musky.
His musky stocking plan for Geneva Lake calls for stocking large fingerlings at the rate of 2 per acre (10,802 fish) every other year. I would also like to pit tag and finclip 2,500 of these fish. This will allow me to monitor survival and growth over time. The walleye, and trout stocking programs will continue as before.
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | 10,802 is a lot for one lake! It would be good for 3 smaller lakes plus Silver or Oakuchee get some!
I remember years ago that Lake Geneva don't get walleye Wisconsin DNR for a long time because of lack public and ramp fee is too high! I don't know about today! |
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| I would say $10 to launch isnt that bad especially when you take into consideration some of the ridiculous launch fees in IL. |
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Location: Madtown, WI | I know for a fact the amount of muskies avail in WI for stocking is way down..and most likely will be for some time. Not sure how they will justify trying to start up a new lake (which requires HUGE stockings...especially for this size of lake) when the normal lakes are not gettting the quota of fish they need.
The priority needs to be to maintain the lakes that are being stocked first before starting up new. In the work I have done with the DNR on the Madison chain I can tell you its not likely to happen...but there is always a chance.
Cory |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | If I was to take a position on this one, it would exactly parallel Mr. Painter's. |
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Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | 10,802 muskies for a 5,262 acre lake?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
If this lake has as much deep water as I gather from the post the plan would stock about 4x more fish then the MNDNR would on the same lake. I don't want to turn this into a MN vs. WI argument, but that seems like a lot of fish to stock if you want a trophy fishery. For example, Minnetonka which is 3x bigger get's about 1/4-1/2 that number of fish (even if you extrapolate out 1 two year old = 3 fingerlings). The proposal for Pokegama is for 2000 every other year for 10 years stocked every other year and that's around 6600 acres. I'm no biologist, but that seems high in my limited experience.
If WI is short of fish and the local clubs want to help I'd look at reducing that stocking number. It may fit into everyone's budget a little better. Keep us in the loop and you'll get our support.
Edited by Muskie Treats 10/13/2008 12:53 PM
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Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | Being that I am an FRV Member I would say without question I oppose the decision to take this money and put it into Lake Geneva. For all the reasons above it just seems very misguided to be dumping money into a lake that will take many years of dedicated stocking to establish a fishable population, that is nearly unfishable on the weekends (and to say that at night or weekdays isn't an argument, being that the FRV chapter membership is at least an hour drive's time away from the lake) because of boat traffic is a horrible decision. I understand that I could more openly oppose this decision if I were to be more active in the club, but I did want to at least make my opinion known here. |
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| jonnysled - 10/10/2008 7:10 PM
Lake Geneva is not Wisconsin Jeff ... it's part of the "occupied territory"
Heh. Heheh. hehehHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
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| Slamr - 10/13/2008 10:20 AM
Being that I am an FRV Member I would say without question I oppose the decision to take this money and put it into Lake Geneva. For all the reasons above it just seems very misguided to be dumping money into a lake that will take many years of dedicated stocking to establish a fishable population, that is nearly unfishable on the weekends (and to say that at night or weekdays isn't an argument, being that the FRV chapter membership is at least an hour drive's time away from the lake) because of boat traffic is a horrible decision. I understand that I could more openly oppose this decision if I were to be more active in the club, but I did want to at least make my opinion known here.
The same could have been said at one time for many of the lakes in Southern WI and Northern IL. If "not fishable on weekends because of crowds" was a consideration, we wouldn't have Silver Lake, the Fox Chain, Delavan, or probably even the Yahara Chain. So where do we focus our efforts? We can supplement the small crowded shallow weedy lakes that already have "good" fisheries established, or we can look to expanding the fisheries in S WI to include a lake that not only has great potential, but there exists the possibility of a self sustaining muskie population. I think stocking a lake like Geneva is exactly the forward thinking long term approach everyone has been asking the WI DNR for.
If muskie fishing keeps on growing like it has been, 10 - 15 years down the road we're going to need some more places for all of them to fish, or it won't matter how many fish we stock in the lakes we already have, it will be a merry go round out there every where you go.
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| I agree with Cory and Steve. First and foremost, the lakes with established fisheries which require stocking should be given preference. I'd be very disappointed if, for instance, the Mad Chain quota was diminished to accommodate stocking Geneva. Given the budgetary constraints, that would possibly be a reality if Geneva was put on the list.
With that said, IF (and its a big "IF") it can be done, I LOVE the idea of expanding Southern WI muskie waters, and Geneva sounds like it could be a dandy. With our current limited options here in S WI, having another viable population would ease the increasing pressure currently being directed to the Madison chain, Pewaukee, Okauchee, etc. |
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| Lake Geneva, Wisconsin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States.
JonnySled... What map are you looking at?
Anyways, Musky in Lake Geneva is a great plan. Every lake contains a source of predation on fingerlings of all species, and regarding esox species, that explains the differential by a week or two between pike and musky spawning, as well as their spawning depths (pike up shallow by weeds and musky out deep). I can understand most of you who fear that the already advanced northern population could desecrate the young musky, as we all know a lake is either a musky lake or a northern lake, but rarely equivalent because of the competitiveness of the two species, however, such is life and this lake stands as good of a chance as any with regards to stocking efforts of musky into it's depths.
Let's do this, the more musky water the better. Regarding your negativity, MuskyAddict, assumably you frequent Wisconsin's waters throughout the season, as I've seen your posts on several, including Wingra... Different chapters of Muskies Inc. are spread throughout the midwest, as well as many Wisconsin based musky clubs and DNR efforts including some private lake associations and all aid in the stocking of our Wisconsin Lakes. I believe if you ignore the border drawn on a map between Wisconsin and Illinois, your feelings would differ with regards to your illinois club helping fund Lake Geneva with a resource such as musky.
Let's help create more musky fisheries throughout the midwest, and if we can all start small by supporting this proposal and perhaps it's all we can do, than send Doug an email showing your support towards a valuable resource that we all enrich our passion of musky fishing with.
Think about it, many of us travel the midwest to chase these fish.. I see Illinois license plates in Wisconsin and Minnisota's Northwoods all the time at public launches. We travel to Michigan to fish the Detroit River, Illinois to fish Lake Shelbyville and Fox Chain, Cave Run in Kentucky, Lake Chautaugua in New York and Pomme De Terre in Missouri. . . I've never fished felt like, "Hey, these out of staters are infringing upon the musky territories that the people of my state funded stocking efforts into..."
PUT MUSKY INTO GENEVA! |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | Guest - 10/13/2008 12:45 PM
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States.
JonnySled... What map are you looking at!
the one that shows stress line = hwy 8
the beginning of wisconsin = madison (formerly beloit but no longer)
with the southwest still held by wisconsin but everything inside the quadrant bounded by 39/94/43 taken over by the stress of the occupation. |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | I don't know that Wisconsin have low muskies for stocking then good idea to take care of lakes that already have muskies.
When get some more and project.......if Lake Geneva is too big then several other lake like
Powers Lake...459 acres, max 34 ft
Mary Lake...315 acres, max 38 ft
Elizabeth Lake...638 acres, max 32 ft. Maybe Illinois musky club help stock this lake because 32 acres is in Illinois.
Camp Lake...461 acres, max 19 ft
Plus Silver and Delavan Lakes
Ohhhh boy! Cool! |
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| Guest, if you read my post above, you'd see that I actually DO support stocking lake Geneva.
Fundamentally, though, I believe chapter stocking funds should be allocated to the states in which those chapters reside. Building fisheries close to where our club members all live just makes more sense. Knowing that the DNR will happily reduce their stocking numbers by whatever we provide makes doing that kind of a waste. I think we're making the right decision based on that, but I'd rather see our efforts concentrated closer to home. We all fish in WI because the fishing is better. If it was better here, we'd stay here.
Sled, you're killing me!
We're not invaders, we just drive a little faster and make a little more noise. Ok a lot more... 
Edited by esoxaddict 10/13/2008 1:27 PM
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Posts: 1245
Location: Madtown, WI | I am not against stocking Geneva. I am just being more realistic is all. With limited fish to stock from WI hatcheries, a new lake, epsecially of that size, will most likely NOT get done with WI fish. To privately fund an initial stocking that would be required for that lake at 15$ a fish.....well I guess if ANYWHERE could afford to do that it would be Geneva...but then again you need to convice them the muskie won't eat jonny off the dock or all of their other game fish.
Might stand a better chance with a couple of the smaller lakes. (less numbers required)
Cory |
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| Stock Lauderdale! Green:311 acres 55' max, Middle:259 acres 42 ft' max,
Mill:271 acres 44' max. There's enough small bass to be a forage base. Big pike lake. |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | Big Green Lake and Koshkonong got some muskies every or every other year and we don't hear much about it. Only a few reported is that they are few but above average size muskies! It might be samething to Lake Geneva! Need big boat for Lake Geneva and most of us don't have it! My opinion is that several smaller lakes is better! Between 300 and 1000 acres seem reasonable size!
In 1980's nice 285 acres Cedar Lake near Fox Lake in northern Illinois have some muskies. I rented a boat several times there and got some muskies up to 38 inch! Not anymore because of lack of public.......that's sad! |
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Location: oswego, il | Ilmuskie, the lakes you propose do not have adequate access. They could be decent lakes that would probably mirror silver for average size and numbers but not big fish potential like geneva would. I would not be opposed to finding other waters in SE Wi, they need it desparately, but you will run into the same arguements as lake geneva. This geneva proposal is getting creamed on lake-link by the non-musky crowd.
If wisconsin starts in madison, that means firstsixfeet is a flatlander, I knew it! Was Chilton every really in wisconsin? There is a sorta pregnant.
More muskies could be available to stock in wisconsin. Illinois has always met their quota or close to it when they don't have enough fish by trading pike for muskies with iowa. Iowa has no issues raising muskies but pike are an issue for them. It appears that Illinois has figured out their diet woes, so iowa should now have surplus fish to stock. |
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Posts: 462
Location: Syracuse, Indiana | IF the WDNR can expand the fishery without harming the fishery elsewhere, why not support the idea? Isn't that the question that needs to be posed? Boating pressure is a pain, but better than not having the opportunity to fish muskies! I do think the idea of stocking larger fish (better survival odds) makes sense, but it may be cost prohibitive. The WDNR overall does a tremendous job. Give them some props. |
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Posts: 135
Location: Elgin, IL | I'm a member of the FRV Chapter and I tended to view this proposal as a win/win for everyone. I can't imagine the WI DNR would be behind this effort unless they've concluded:
A. that the introduction of muskies to Lake Geneva would not cause a detrimental impact on other species in the lake that are targeted by anglers
B. the biomass of Lake Geneva can and will support a healthy population of muskies (possibly creating trophy-class fish eventually)
C. that stocking Geneva with muskies extends musky fishing opportunities in S. WI (which is technically a goal also embraced by M.I. from the top down across all states)
Personally ... I've spent very little time fishing S. WI. But creating new opportunities to catch muskies on more lakes in WI still seems like a better idea than the alternative for FRV. (Subsidizing stocking efforts in IL without increasing #s of fish stocked above and beyond the IL DNR plans).
I won't even get into the aesthetics of this lake or that lake. I've only fished on Geneva once. I realize that launch fees are high, and power-boat traffic is difficult at best. But my "home water" is the Fox Chain. Which isn't much better in either of those categories. And arguably, the Fox Chain sustains even heavier angling pressure in general than Geneva does. So could there be more peaceful, easily accessible lakes in Wisconsin to stock? Ones with pre-existing fishable populations of muskies? Yep. But I don't think that should be the most important criteria.
Regardless, I believe that the muskie fishing community in general would benefit from muskies going into Lake Geneva... even if the dividends aren't recognized for several years. If our efforts don't result in helping to stock Geneva, so be it. Ultimately, the FRV money to stock fish is going to go somewhere... in lakes close by hopefully! Just my .02... and a lot of change!
Mark Lamont |
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| Yeah, SLED.. Ummm |
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Location: minocqua, wi. | yup ... todd must have flunked geography |
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Posts: 371
Location: Dixon, IL | 10,800 muskies X $12 = $129,600! Ouch!
Big fish in Lake Geneva is for sure! Lot of money into Lake Geneva! We have to wait for 8 to 10 years and see what happened!
If last day of Musky season up north in year of 2018 is already frozen then Tom Gelb might row trolling where...... Lake Geneva! Who knows! |
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Posts: 15
| As long as other lakes that are currently stocked continue to get what they were allocated - I think it would be a great idea to stock Geneva, which is a lake I fish quite a bit being an hour from my home. Due to the pleasure boaters and size - I can see this lake becoming a trophy fishery and not a numbers lake ever. Since the fish will probably have minimal pressure - this lake could hold a record someday. So, you could fish this lake during off hours in hopes of a trophy or still be able to fish the other lakes for more action, etc. With all these budgetary issues however, I highly doubt the funds would be available for whatever reason - but will hope for the best.
I do believe for the fish to make it they do need to be those 12 to 18 inchers and stocking the small guys will probably be a waste. In regards to how many they want to stock at a time - I always thought that a huge majority of any stocked species is lost to predation and such - so my question is - out of 10,000.00 something fish stocked, what is an average percentage that would make it? I'm thinking a few hundred - just can't quite remember those stats.
I want to know that I have trophy muskie pretty close to home - and that is why I would support such an effort.
John
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Posts: 146
Location: where the fish are... | Honestly, the thought of having a lake of that magnitude have musky is incredible. Im 22 so for some of the other people on the board this wont mean squat, but for me this is a real golden opportunity. Sure is the lake huge and requires unbleivalbe stocking numbers, sure are there alot of boaters out there but there isnt on the fox chain? Look at the great fishery the fox chain has become with all those boats. Think of the possibilites a lake like Geneva has, the depth the breaks the forage unreal to think of for someone who lives 45min south of there. I drive up there almost once a month and think to myself what would it take to get this done? Why couldnt multiple clubs come together in a close area and help WI stock this lake? maybe there arent enough fish to go around, you tell me you all are the experts. But getting a good base of fish in that lake would be excellent. If anyone has actually spent time on that lake you know as well as i do that this is a awesome plan and needs to move forward quickly. Me being 22 and have lots of musky fishing ahead of me this is a great time to do this. But everyone has their opinion and maybe im wrong, i guess we'll see |
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Location: searchin for 50 | I think its just a bad idea. They should concentrate their efforts on already existing muskie fisheries. Stock those first and maintain them. Maybe in the future they can do it. |
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Location: Elkhorn, WI | I never thought there would be this much negativity on this question, especialy on a musky site, on this question. The guys that are saying this lake is unfishable obviously haven't fished it. I fish it three times a week, because I can only afford two trips a week to Waukesha Co. musky fishing. The size of this lake absorbs the pleasure boat traffic much better than Pewaukee or Okauchee. The lake is easy to fish mornings and evenings and any time of the day before Memorial Day and after Labor Day. Why not add a trophy musky lake to SE Wisconsin. PLEASE STOCK MUSKIES. |
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Location: Madtown, WI | I don't think folks are being negative (well most folks). I think they are being realistic.
When the state only has so many muskies to stock (and sometimes they run short, like this year) they can only stock so many lakes. the quantity it would take to do an INITIAL stocking of this lake is huge. then ongoing the quantities are large as well. The sytem (WI DNR hatcheries) can't support it right now. So why would you reduce the stocking on lakes we know are effective to stock a lake that is unproven.
I think most on this site would agree that if we COULD get enough fish to stock it on a consistant basis without reducing stocking on other lakes in the state, they would support it.
cory
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| Why not use that money to help supplement the muskie population on Lake Delavan which is right down the road. This place has already started stocking muskies in it and we have seen some real big fish. Why experiment on lake Geneva, when Delavan has not yet been put on the map? To me it makes more sense. Anybody? |
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| ToddM - 10/14/2008 7:27 AM
If wisconsin starts in madison, that means firstsixfeet is a flatlander, I knew it! Was Chilton every really in wisconsin? There is a sorta pregnant.
Just as I suspected, everytime TM crosses the state line he is either already stoned or drunk! Flatlander? Chilton? What a combination insult! Besides that, I live in the KY part of WI now. If I catch you up north next year, I am going to paint over the X you put on the good side of your boat. Then you will never be able to tell where you caught fish again.
On the Geneva issue, I think it has great musky lake potential, and unlike some lakes up there, doubt the stocked fish disappear. Also very much doubt it would ever be a self sustaining fishery, or that natural reproduction would occur. I would wonder about a few things that really can't be answered until they are stocked, is there enough initial cover for the young fish for both their own cover and ambush cover to help them feed, and is there a good supply of size appropriate forage through the first couple of years. Muskies tend to grow through pike predation within a season or two, and from what I understand, largemouth bass predation can be a much bigger problem, for the young fish, than northerns, just through sheer numbers.
If big fish were going to be placed anywhere, I think Delevan would be a much better candidate for that program, as in that lake, I am suspicious that much of the stocking each year is going down predator gullets before they can grow through predation.
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| I think I am in favor of Delavan over Geneva without a doubt! It just makes way more sense to me! |
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Posts: 464
| Re visiting this post from way back. Curious to hear about the current state of Geneva. Anyone care to chime in on recent experiences? Feel free to PM me if you wish. Was shocked to read some of the nay sayers posts from 10 years ago. Interesting look back in time. |
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Location: oswego, il | FRV will hold a fall tournament tbis year on the lake. Fish are doing well and being caught. There was a supposed giant caught last year, seen the pic but could not verify it was from there as it said. |
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| The best thing about this whole situation is there's a Genos East pizza right on the shoreline in town on Geneva,,closer to TC and this would be my favorite lake.
Any chance we could get Minnesota leech lake strain in Geneva?
Any chance we could get a Genos East franchise here on Minnetonka?? |
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Posts: 140
Location: Northern Illinois | Muskies have been coming along nicely. Saw a mid-40's pulled
up through the ice this winter. Nice, big fat healthy fish. Released.
I have boat fished this lake a couple times mid-week & you better have your
rig pointed home by 9:30 am or so, or you will get quite a turbulent experience
from all the monster wake boats. Can't say I'm overly excited about having
a new lake within striking range when it has such a limited window. I'm not
a night fishing guy. More & more down here can't wait to retire & do the cabin
thing up North. Mostly head that way if I want to musky fish.....just not worth
the aggravation. Still, it's good to have more musky options. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | crib notes:
- thank you IL for how great you have made Wisconsin
- Madison crew defending their turf
Edited by jonnysled 3/6/2018 7:40 AM
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| ToddM - 3/5/2018 12:46 PM
FRV will hold a fall tournament tbis year on the lake. Fish are doing well and being caught. There was a supposed giant caught last year, seen the pic but could not verify it was from there as it said.
What a great idea. Hope its a nice warm weekend. |
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Posts: 1767
Location: Lake Country, Wisconsin | Can you guys also buy a boat launch with more than 20 parking spots too? |
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Posts: 797
Location: North Central IL USA | Fishen-ski's - 3/5/2018 2:20 PM
I have boat fished this lake a couple times mid-week & you better have your
rig pointed home by 9:30 am or so, or you will get quite a turbulent experience
from all the monster wake boats.
Really?? Mid-week? How about pre Memorial Day and post Labor Day? |
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Posts: 1636
| I can tell you one thing... Overall, the Bass fishermen are not happy. I guess you can only lose so many $25+ jerkbaits before you start to dislike the perpetrator. The Muskies are doing well... and big fish are being caught.
Edited by Reelwise 3/7/2018 2:19 PM
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Posts: 20254
Location: oswego, il | It is amazing some of the prices of bass swimbaits, 500 even more. For a plastic bait! I will say this, i have some and musky fish with them. Not the crazy expensive ones but there are some good reasonable ones. Jointed gliders glide and turn really well. I have a jointed bait that looks like a rattle trap that could make a musky milt at will.
Edited by ToddM 3/7/2018 3:06 PM
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | I'm loving how excited the flatlanders are getting over this. Bette is probably already making Lake Geneva Leaders!! |
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Posts: 140
Location: Northern Illinois | GregK9:
I've never fished early or late in the season, so not 100% about
how busy it is, it's a very popular/busy lake though. Lots of big boats
come out to play & they don't seem real concerned about guys in bass
boats trying to fish. LOL. That's been my experience on a couple of trips
out there. Have to give a try for yourself, I guess you might pick a day &
hope for less traffic. after paying the launch fee, I would like to get a full day
of fishing in, pretty tough here. I'd rather be on the fox chain on the weekend,
if that tells you anything. I know that guys trolling at night for other species are
picking up muskies by chance, so there are fish to be caught. Have at em!
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Posts: 2312
Location: SE, WI. | esoxaddict - 10/10/2008 3:44 PM It would be a zoo on weekends, but think of the quality of fish Lake Geneva could produce... On a side note, isn't it funny how a muskie club from IL puts so many fish into WI? And they never seem to thank us when we're up there... Jeff; here I thought it was the other way around. WI. Residents stocking IL. Waters. Look how many of the Pewaukee fish end up in the Fox Chain;) JD PS ; Guess I would Side W/Painter/Worrall/Slammer |
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Posts: 3242
Location: Racine, Wi | That lake is like fishing on Lake Michigan with rollers on it during the day. Night fishing on the other hand..... |
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Posts: 43
Location: S. Wisconsin | Only place in the Tri-State Area to get a decent U.S. Brewed Hefe-Weizen...
Is there a fish crib up on the north east corner of the lake there?
I'll need one close enough to shore to cast a bait and then run my line across the street to the bar at Sprecher's. Rather than have my Rig cluttering up the bar, (that would be silly) I figure I can just tie directly to my big toe, Huck Finn style. I don't foresee any issues...
Next post: Catching a "tiger" by the toe...the Story of PegLeg McFever... |
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Posts: 8834
| jdsplasher - 3/9/2018 10:23 PM
esoxaddict - 10/10/2008 3:44 PM It would be a zoo on weekends, but think of the quality of fish Lake Geneva could produce... On a side note, isn't it funny how a muskie club from IL puts so many fish into WI? And they never seem to thank us when we're up there... Jeff; here I thought it was the other way around. WI. Residents stocking IL. Waters. Look how many of the Pewaukee fish end up in the Fox Chain;) JD PS ; Guess I would Side W/Painter/Worrall/Slammer
We do buy some fish from the Gollom hatchery. But if it keeps even one IL angler fishing down here instead of up in WI isn't it worth it? |
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Posts: 667
Location: Roscoe IL | I'm sorting through old threads looking for hit's on lakes I'm interested in targeting for the late season hunts in my searches. Saw this and had to read through it since we fished it a few weeks ago. I took my wife & boy's to Lake Geneva so the wife could see the shacks and we could fish. Something for everyone... We saw 2 other boats casing for Muskies. One was casting big rubber.. Same thing on lake Delavan the week prior to that and my son lost one at the net there. It was not a Northern on Delavan. That was a Muskie.
Were these lakes stocked with Muskies ever? Perhaps the boats on Geneva were simply fishing for Northern?
Edited by ToothyCritter 10/7/2019 11:35 AM
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Posts: 612
| In NYS Conesus lake has solid populations of oversized LM and SM bass and some of the bigger pike to be caught in NYS. It has the heaviest boat traffic of any major lake in the state. Stocked with (4 to 7)k (8 to 9)" long musky fingerlings annually for ~ a decade. Presently the largest fish in the lake are muskies and this has not adversely effected any other game fish, all it's done is add excitement and variety. One factor is it's a deep lake nearly 70' with large shallow flats so plenty of space for each species to find there own desired habitats, in fact in summer most musky's go quite deep to chase a large alewive population. Not sure about the lake in question but stocking muskies in this lake has paid off. |
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Posts: 416
Location: Madtown, WI | Yes, Geneva has been getting stocked:
https://infotrek.er.usgs.gov/doc/wdnr_biology/Public_Stocking/StateM... |
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Posts: 8834
| So it's been 9 years since the initial stocking I've heard rumors - the usual ones of tails on one side of the boat, head on the other, fish "at least 6 feet long"... More reputable claims are fish showing up in the mid to upper 30's into the low 40's. Based on the time frame, that sounds about right. So in another 4-5 years we'll start to see if Geneva really does have what it takes to produce some quality fish. Might turn out to be a good place to fish after Labor Day at least. |
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Posts: 667
Location: Roscoe IL | Outside of the launch fee and small parking lot at Williams Bay, It was nice and pretty easy to find a spot to fish once on the water. Yes, it's after labor day but I'll go back since it's only 30 min for me. Bass are big anyway. I'll bring some Muskie gear next time. The bar across the street from the big pier where you can get gas sure was fun, lot's of Badger fans watching the game last week & the wings were very good. A tad pricey though.
Before labor day on a weekend. Not me, I'll get run over. |
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Posts: 177
Location: Lake Forest, Illinois | They are already in there. |
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Proposed stocking of Lake Geneva with muskies