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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | I have read some of the information on Nancy Lake near Minong in WI in the musky research forum. It sounds like it used to be AWESOME, but that the population of the fish may be rapidly declining.
Netting survey's and what not aside(not to mention all the info in the other forum is 4 years old now), has anybody actually been fishing it? If so, does there seem to be a catchable number of fish still in the lake? Maybe this question should go in the research forum, but I figured I would try it here.
Thanks,
curleytail | |
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| I have not personally fished it, but some chapter members did, it was stocked with leechers fish got big, then went for boat rides, and they have harvested this lake hard.
Troyz | |
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Posts: 49
| i fished it a couple years ago
the locals on the lake don't like muskies
they love their bass, crappie and pan fish
pretty much resent the fact that muskies where put in there
despite it being many, many years ago
from what i understand there is no natural reproduction to speak of either
better lakes in the area to target in my opinion
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Posts: 1286
Location: WI | I've heard there is some natural reproduction. The locals (lake assoc) don't like them.
I fished it last year one time and raised 2 fish, one small (maybe even sub 30") one that i lost, and the other I didn't see, just a swirl behind my lure. Lots of harvest of the big ones in the past as well.
I think I read that the fish population was pretty stunted before the muskies were introduced so that can't blame bad fishing on the skis. I wouldn't totally write the lake off, but I don't think I'd plan a vacation around it either. | |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Thanks guys. Fairly soon, I'll be living within a reasonable distance of Nancy, so I'll have to try it out. Sounds like the musky fishing in there is well past prime though.
No way of knowing without fishing it I guess!
curleytail | |
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Posts: 531
Location: Hugo, MN | That lake is about three miles from our cabin, so I've fished it a bit. We've caught a couple fish out of there, nothing big. It really is a shame that the Wisconsin DNR pulled the plug on that lake when the stocking was so successful. There aren't many musky lakes in the immediate area, but there are a few. Big McKenzie isn't too far and is probably the best lake nearby. The launch sucks though. Mathews has a few muskies in it, Lake 26 and Yellow lake aren't more than a half hour. Then of course there's Hayward or Spooner, or go up toward Brule and try the Eau Claire chain. There are some big fish in Middle and Upper Eau Claire for sure. Good luck! | |
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| Lake Nancy was stocked with Leech Lake muskies for 5 years starting in 1984 by the DNR to see how Leech Lake muskies coexisted with northern pike in comparison to other muskie strains. In 1997 there was a 55" 39lb. fish caught and released out of Nancy. There have been many other 50" plus fish caught out of that lake and has been a well kept secret. Without stocking to boost the population and some people keeping there big trophy leech lakers, the population is way down but there are a few good ones left.
What I find interesting is the WI DNR puts a few leech lakers into this crappy little lake (Lake Nancy) with only stunted panfish as forage and in just over ten years you have anglers catching many 50" and up to 55" fish. There has been muskies (not Leech Lakers) in LCO, Grindstone, Chippewa Flowage, and other Hayward area lakes for hundreds of years and I have not heard of one 55" fish out of any of them. Apparently this was not enough evidence for WI to follow in MN's tracks and stock more than just a few lakes with Leech Lakers. Of course some still debate whether or not Leech lakers grow faster and longer. Whatever.
I'll be planning my summer fishing trips in MN again this year. Thank you Wisconsin DNR! | |
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Posts: 18
| MN and WI are both great states to fish in. Both have giant fish. We have no problem finding these monsters in our small ponds we fish on. So please, don't rip on Wisconsin. And if you chose MN to fish this summer, great! Just change your on line name to MN musky fisherman, because with that attitude the musky gods are sure to keep haunting you while you fish in WI. I don't mean to be so assertive, but I will always stand up for the state of WI! | |
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Posts: 32882
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Guest,
Apparently, you haven't read the HUGE amount of information on that subject in the research Forum. Take some time and read up, and then study the data on Nancy including the recent reports from the area fisheries manager up there for yourself, before condemning anyone out of hand. Also be careful when saying things like 'many other', Pelican kicks out good numbers of 50" plus fish, and I've personally broken 54 there twice and my guide clients and I have boated about a dozen over 50 out of there over the years, but I don't consider the number 'many'. How many IS 'many'? And, what you have 'heard' may be a little exclusionary, too.
I am personally pretty happy with the current muskie management program in place and the results of all the work by the MI clubs, activists, and other interested parties in cooperation with the WIDNR. We have Dr. Sloss studying the genetics of 45 populations in the state, we have comparison availability coming along is several waters stocked with both Leech Lake and WI strain fish, and over all, we have a great fishery. FAR differing in water chemistry and size from MN, which is an important item to keep in mind...it's a bad idea to overgeneralize.
Best thing we can do here is protect the trophy fisheries potential we have. That's not easy; already there is pressure to reverse the 50" limit on Pelican, led by a town official over there who's family fished muskies on Pelican for decades. I don't get it.
Nancy is far from a well kept secret, by the way. | |
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Last thing I wanted this to be was a WI vs MN debate, but it was probably a given being that the lake being discussed is located in WI and was stocked with muskies that have been doing well in MN.
Here's what I say. I've never fished MN but it obviously has a lot more big fish than WI. WI has giants that rival those in MN, but MN has more. That seems to be a fact. If I had to choose, would I live right next to Mille Lacs? No, I don't think so. I enjoy the lakes in WI. There are a lot of them, and many are very different from each other. There are certainly fish to be caught, and there are some darn nice ones too.
Everything is relative. For me, anything over 45 inches in a pretty big fish. In MN, maybe I would change that to 48 or something. But why compare? Who compares the walleye fishing of a small inland WI or MN lake to Bay De Noc, which consistently puts out HUGE walleyes? Nobody does! Different lakes, different areas, etc.
I don't know why some of the musky guys that have been to MN have to compare it to the fishing everywhere else. If my walleye lake doesn't have the number or size of walleyes that LOW has, is it a bad lake?
Keep everything in perspective, put your priorities in place, go fish, and have fun. If your lakes have fish that top out (generally) around 50 inches, and a fish like that is rare, have fun with all the mid 30's, respect the 40+'s, be very happy with the mid 40's, and be very proud of anything approaching the 50 inch mark.
curleytail | |
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| Worrall/Middlestadt,
My intention was not to get people fired up and offended but looking back at my post I can see how it might have done that. Sorry. The Bottom line is this... Lake Nancy in the past has put out some very big Leech Lake muskies. Bigger muskies than it's neighboring lakes that are much larger with better forage bases (LCO etc...) and that do not contain Leech Lakers. Again, I still have never heard of a 55" out of any Hayward lakes other than the little puddle that is Lake Nancy. I know of a musky fisherman who put 5 muskies over 50" in his boat over a two day stretch years ago on Lake Nancy. Anyone ever done that on the Chip!?
I know Wisconsin is looking into Leech Lakers and has stocked them in a few lakes up north and is doing a side by side study with them in the Madison chain with other strains. This is good but... how much proof do you need that Leech Lakers grow longer and faster? Let's take a look at the Minneapolis Metro Lakes (Leech fish) vs. Madison Lakes (WI fish). Both have been stocked with muskies for about the same amount of time now. You have 57 inchers being caught in White Bear Lake and many other mid fifties out of the other Metro waters. On the Madison Lakes it is big news when someone breaks the 46-47" mark. BIG news. Don't get me wrong, I love catching 46" muskies but would much rather catch 50 inchers. I guess we can continue this debate in 10 or 15 years when the leech laker study on the Madison Lakes reveals the truth. I'm going to go out on a limb and say the leechers will get bigger. That's just my vote.
Don't get me wrong, I love fishing in WI and would much rather stay in WI than drive to MN, but I will drive wherever I have to to have the best shot at catching a 50." I guess I could always go to Green Bay... Oh wait, those are spotted fish too!
I do believe there are some WI fish that are giants, but for every one of those there are 30 more giant spotted/leech fish elsewhere. Speaking of which, I would love to see pics of those 54" from Pelican. Now that's doing something to catch 2 over 54" on WI inland waters not to mention 12 others over 50" boated by you and your clients. Inspiring and impressive indeed! | |
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Posts: 32882
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The 'it's the fish' debate is a dead horse here, and we'll not beat it again. Study up.
Far as pictures, I think a couple are posted here, somewhere. | |
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Posts: 999
| Lets see them, I dont buy it.
Mr Musky | |
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Posts: 32882
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I don't much care if you do or don't, actually, but they were all documented. I think a few are in my album, not sure. Been awhile since I looked in there. I think it's listed as Worrall Family Album.
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Posts: 1286
Location: WI | Nancy isn't on a reservation. I haven't heard of any spearing there. But angler harvest has been mentioned. | |
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| Ive been fishing this lake my entire life and i love fishing muskies, back in the late 1990's and early 2000's there was a very healthy population on the lake but the muskies were never allowed reproduce naturally becasue i beilive the season was opened too soon. Spearing by indians is allowed on the lake which has decimated the population of walleyes and in recent years muskies have been speared as well last year a 52 and a 55 inch muskie was speared. im my opinion there may be at the most 12 and at the least 2 muskies left in the lake. there have been rumors of some smaller fish being caught but i have never seen or caught one. | |
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| I don't know much about fish genetics, but I find it hard to accept that people would question whether or not someone has caught the fish they say they have caught, where they say they caught them. Does it not occur to you that while 50" fish may not be common, for someone like Steve Worral who fishes hard and smart, knows the lakes, they are going to be more common than someone who does not fish that way?
I have a place on a small chain in N. Wis. I have never caught a fish of 50" or greater there. However, my neighbors, who fish long hours, in all kinds of weather, all times of the day and night and fish smart have caught two in the last two years. I was not with them, but I have no doubt they caught and released those two fish. They earned them with hard work, long hours and smart fishing.
I have no idea about the numbers of big fish in MN vs WI, but I do know that wherever you fish, those that work the hardest tend to do best. | |
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| I have seen a few while fishing for pannies. Never targeted them though. Not sure what effect an over abundance of 12 inch bass will have on the population, but the small bass run that lake. | |
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| It is a great lake with big fish im 11 i get a nice number of large mouth bass when i go fishing there | |
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| Spent a week in early July on Nancy.
My daughter had a 40" class fish up to the boat before it threw her Jig and sucker combo and got away.
Additionally, many of the dozens of 1-2# largemouth we caught during the trip had large half circle bite damage on them. Much of it fresh. I am not an expert but it appeared to be large Northern or Large Musky Damage.
Finally, we talked to a part time local guide who works at a local boat dealership who showed us both a replica mount and a photo of a 55" class fish that he'd caught and released in recent years on Nancy.
Maybe a well kept secret, but there are still Musky in Nancy... | |
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Nancy Lake, WI