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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | At the IMA meeting in january, the head of the DNR said they would take suggestions for new musky lakes. Since the pike and striper programs are going away, more effort can be put into raising muskies. What new lakes would you like to see? They would have to have decent public access.
I immediately suggested south spring. The two times a year it is fishable, north spring gets pounded hard. Since we already know the fish would do well there, it would be nice to have more water like that to fish when north spring is fishable.
Cedar lake near carbondale would be another excellent one.
What others?
Edited by ToddM 2/26/2017 8:06 AM
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Posts: 682
Location: Sycamore, IL | Clinton lake used to be stocked with tigers...not sure if it still gets any fish?
Devil's kitchen,Cedar, little Grassy or Lake of Egypt would be nice additions to southern Illinois. It would take some pressure off of Kinkaid as well... |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | Clinton and Egypt are cooling lakes, would not work. Not sure how many tigers were caught, maybe some did ok on the cool side? Grassy seems like a pretty good choice. Devils kitchen would grow huge fish, landing one would be a problem in that lake!
Another possibility is monster lake in mazonia near braidwood. |
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Posts: 300
Location: Minocqua, WI | Interesting topic.
Any mention for rivers? Like expanding the numbers for the Fox River, maybe experimenting with the lower Des Plaines, and trying for a specific pool of the Illinois?..... though it could be a potential waste of money of fish end up migrating into other places and it would be very difficult to manage. |
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Posts: 115
| Lake bloomington would be cool, we would have 2 muskie lakes within 5 miles of each other then. What about the bigger lakes like rend or carlyle?? |
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Posts: 463
| I would like to see Jericho and Oakhurst added. Not huge lakes but they have enough depth, access and are in close proximity to a lot of muskie fisherman. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I agree with chasintails, we need more closer to chicago. I hate having to drive 3 or more hours to get to a decent muskie lake. |
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Posts: 53
| Todd, what does the DNR think is going on with Shelbyville? What used to be one of the best if not the best fishery in the state is now very difficult to catch a fish. Are they spreading out or going over spillway? My point is if it's a matter of the fish are finally spreading out more I think increasing the stocking on Shelbyville would be my choice. A big resource in the middle of the state that has already shown it can grow big fish
Edited by DWags 2/27/2017 3:13 PM
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Posts: 682
Location: Sycamore, IL | Just curious...why wouldn't cooling lakes work? |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | The dnr does not really know what is going on with shelbyville. Fish have always escaped even when the lake was prime. The lake recieves extra fish quite often when there are extra.
Cooling lakes get too hot. They never surveyed a stocked musky in braidwood for instance. Clinton has a cool side but hot water and muskies dont mix. Heidecke isnt a cooling lake anymore, it gets stocked but nobody targets them.
As far.as places closer to.chicago, public access is the problem. Jerico is not a state owned lake but it would be nice if they were in there. Oakhurst is 15ft but most of this lake is very shallow. The deep water is narrow along the south shore. |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Let's throw more fish in Heidecke. There are some big ones that come out of there, especially with the spring surveys. I think I might give Heidecke a shot this year. I'd imagine if I just troll around some big cranks I'll catch everything (:
Also, wasn't there muskie in Heidecke before the plant shut down? I could be wrong I've only fished it the last few years.
Edited by Musky_Mo16 2/27/2017 5:52 PM
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | They stocked hybrids in there back in the day. It was a coal plant so it didnt get as hot. A buddy of mine caught a 43.
I fish there often but for musky. We catch the occasional fish, biggest was 37. |
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Posts: 112
Location: Illinois | They could stock the sand pit pond where I work  about 10 acres with max depth of 24ft and all the small stunted bass they want to eat lol. Anywhere away from Chicago would be nice to see. I hate boat traffic/competition for spots. I would think Clinton has enough water for them to survive and thrive. |
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| Is the DNR still stocking McMasters? I had trouble finding the stocking numbers but it seems like McMasters is getting overlooked. |
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Posts: 463
| ToddM - 2/27/2017 5:11 PM
As far.as places closer to.chicago, public access is the problem. Jerico is not a state owned lake but it would be nice if they were in there. Oakhurst is 15ft but most of this lake is very shallow. The deep water is narrow along the south shore.
I didn't know they needed to be state owned. What about Mallard, isn't that dupage parks district?
I think Silver lake or Blackwell whatever its called could be good. Silver Springs?
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Doesn't mallard already have Muskie. I've never fished there but I thought I heard that somewhere. |
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Posts: 463
| It does, some nice ones so I hear. |
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Posts: 8828
| I've fished all around this area since the 70's, and I have to say stocking muskies in any of the area lakes is a waste of money. There's too much pressure, too much illegal harvest, and too little enforcement for the lakes to ever produce a fishery of any substance. I've gotten to know a few of the wardens over the years, and they all say the same thing. "There's nothing we can do. They're gone before we can get somebody out there. When we do catch them, it's usually someone with no fishing license, no drivers license, who doesn't speak English. (or pretends not to) If the fish are alive we can dump them back, but they'll be back at it tomorrow, either here or somewhere else..." |
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Posts: 427
| I wish they would put a few more in Mill Creek. It is a very nice fishery that has proven to produce nice fish, they just stock it with such low numbers that it makes it tough to dedicate a ton of time to it. |
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Posts: 151
Location: IL | Just put more fish into the Fox chain.. Would also be helping put more fish in the Fox river. The chain/ river system is easily the #1 muskie fisherie in Illinois. I hate to see the DNR stock 100 acre ponds...... |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I don't like seeing time wasted on the chain, the river OK, but talk about pressure. Not even everybody on the chain is a angler but that place gets crazy crowded in the summer. There is just no room to fish. |
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Posts: 151
Location: IL | But guys still catch more and bigger fish from the chain each year.. especially in the summer. It's a fact. So definitely not a waste Ha |
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | I guess I can't disagree with that. They do got so e big fish in there but I just don't like dealing with the people. That's just me though, the chain can defiantly support some nice muskies. |
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Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | The chain is a great musky fishery and has a good hot bite time. We work well with the biologist and they put the number of muskies in based on fish sampling.
When i say that a lake is not state owned, the state cannot just go ahead and stock it. You need permission from the county or town that manages the property. That is the case with mallard.
Jeff, I have to disagree. Illinois does not waste money on it's musky program. There are some great musky waters. Some not as much but lime anything there can be improvements.
One thing i was thinking about and want to talk to the dnr about is building a hot bite. You can make a musky lake, bass lake ect but build something people will flock to when the conditions are right. North spring in lafe winter, spring coho, late winter bass on newton and sauger on the illinois, hot bites. So build fisheries based on making it hot. That is something i will try and sell them when i ask to have south spring stocked with musky and on a limb, florida strain bass in braidwood. They scoffed on the idea of putting peacock bass in there.
Edited by ToddM 2/28/2017 6:32 PM
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Posts: 735
Location: Apparently where the Muskie aren't | Todd, I think I like your hot bite idea, let me just make sure I understand it. Sounds like you want to have a certain lake, whatever it may be, that is completely built around having a good muskie fishery. For example on this lake you wouldn't have pike, you would make sure to have a good shad or other large baitfish population, and make sure the lake has good spawning areas with deep enough water for the muskie to survive the summer. And then you would have another lake that focuses on bass, walleye, panfish etc. if that's what your thinking, I'm all for that. I also think it will relieve some of the fishing pressure because if a guy wants to get a mess of crappie he will go to the panfish lake instead of the muskie lake. Now obviously all of these lakes will have multiple species, but these lakes would have a "main" species and build everything around that. If this is what you were thinking, sign me up. Great idea!
P.s. Let's get those peacocks in braidwood (: |
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Posts: 34
Location: Illinois | chlohop - 2/28/2017 6:12 AM
Is the DNR still stocking McMasters? I had trouble finding the stocking numbers but it seems like McMasters is getting overlooked.
Still gets stocked. The stocking report should be on www.ifishillinois.org if not I have the 2016 stocking report i'd be happy to send you if you PM me... |
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Posts: 1749
Location: Mt. Zion, IL | Make Lake Shelbyville great again! |
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Posts: 427
| They are trying like heck to make shelbyville great again, just not having much luck. |
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Posts: 553
Location: 15 miles east of Lake Kinkaid | Agreed x10000000. Stock less lakes with more 10-15" fish. Stop feeding the bass with fry and 4" fingerlings. Stock lakes that have proven to be capable of producing good to great fisheries. Stock waters that can sustain multiple boats, tournaments, and are big enough to give a bump to the local economy. |
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Location: Mt. Zion, IL | hoosierhunter - 3/1/2017 7:11 AM
They are trying like heck to make shelbyville great again, just not having much luck.
Sure could fool me. I live 20 minutes from the lake. I have had multiple conversations with DNR, biologist, and anyone who will listen. Shelbyville has had SOMETHING happen since the major kill in 2006 and has never recovered. I can remember days seeing 20 muskies floating in the lake in 2006/7. These were multiple days and DNR has done nothing about it. When you ask, offer to help, the response you get is "We don't have money to fix it, even if we know the problem." I don't know who is trying like hell, but it isn't the state/DNR. I'm not familiar with the musky alliance, but Shelbyville has been a poor fishery for the last 10 years that used to be the pinnacle of the state.
I can remember having 9 days with catches of 12+ fish per day and the fish were HEALTHY. The fish you do catch on the lake now are fat, but they are so few and far between, it isn't even funny. I grew up on this lake and I am very familiar with the lake and fish habitats. It is pitiful now and is in desperate need of help. |
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