Lakes that stop producing

[artesian]

First off new here and glad I found this forum. Just to get an idea of what I fish is the lakes that I hope to see no one else on during the day. So I am a back water guy with a canoe looking at waters less than give or take 15 or so acres. Had a body up in Sussex that was a honey hole for the longest time. Type of lake that had a great mix of 12" to 20"+ bass. Big ones weren't a guarantee but you'd always catch in the 15+ range of fish on a trip. Last 5 years and especially last 2 the numbers have tanked. Granted in that time the pressure there has increased alot where you might see 3-4 others on the water with you. This year the lake bottomed out with lucky getting a couple bass in the 12" range. Being I didn't see but 3 other people try there I think everyone who goes there knows something is up. My buddy theorizes that the lake got crappied and they are now they dominate fish there. Which I have a hard time believing. I did see the weed choke is gotten to the point where you only have maybe two foot of clear water in the spots where open enough to fish. My personal theory is that last year and this years summers are hotter than I can recall and this is not a particularly deep lake. I'm guess that coupled with the weed choke has just cut down on the population. Curious if anyone has seen a honey hole just completely turn off like that? I know lakes cycle but the quickness in the way this happened still has me scratching my head on what went wrong.

[NJ219bands]

Fish kills ruined a few of my shallow, small pond fishing spots. Overfishing ruined the Carnegie Lake Aqueduct.

[Chrisper4694]

most places big or small end up changing for the worst as time goes on from what i've seen. it sucks. sometimes you can counter it by using new and unconventional techniques or lures, if it's because of increased pressure. sometimes environmental issues have caused the fish to behave completely different (i.e. weed kills cause fish to start roaming open water more or destroy spawning locations or fry survival rates/bait production) I've had countless 'honey holes' turn to crap over the years for various reasons... very annoying but it is what it is.

[Godrew1972]

Do you think Carnegie is done? I hope not, good size lake for heavy pressured central NJ.

[Jigman13]

Do you think Carnegie is done? I hope not, good size lake for heavy pressured central NJ.

No, b/c 99% of the people who fish there fish 1% of the lake virtually the same way targeting the same species of fish. The bucket brigade got wind of it the last season or two and has been detrimental to a single area, keeping everything caught. It'd be great if the NJF&G frequented that area more often.

[NJ219bands]

Do you think Carnegie is done? I hope not, good size lake for heavy pressured central NJ.
I caught nothing the last time that I fished on the Carnegie Lake Aqueduct.

[artesian]

most places big or small end up changing for the worst as time goes on from what i've seen. it sucks. sometimes you can counter it by using new and unconventional techniques or lures, if it's because of increased pressure. sometimes environmental issues have caused the fish to behave completely different (i.e. weed kills cause fish to start roaming open water more or destroy spawning locations or fry survival rates/bait production) I've had countless 'honey holes' turn to crap over the years for various reasons... very annoying but it is what it is.

Last few times threw my whole tackle box at it trying different things and wound up with one little guy. The weed choke limits what you can do. Just depresses me that and have to accept only time might repair that lake.

[Jigman13]

small lakes and ponds "die" over time naturally. the ongoing cycle of organic (and inorganic matter) collecting on the bottom slowly but surely eliminates depth, "silting in" making them more and more shallow every year. Unless maintained, a small lake or pond usually ends up being a wetland or marsh.

[NJ219bands]

eutrophication

[Mark B.]

Some may recall that I posted the below on another thread:

All ponds and lakes ultimately become uplands. It is called Succession.

Succession is accelerated due to the large amounts silt and nutrients in runoff from fertilized lawns, resident waterfowl. It may take only a couple of decades for small ponds to become uplands. If the municipality has the funds, dredging and application of aquatic herbicides can delay succession, but it is very costly. Why back when, the State had The Clean Lakes Program which provided funds to municipalities.

Large, deep lakes like Round Valley Res., will take centuries, or more, to become uplands. But ultimately, it will happen.

This short video explains it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYC5v5d0-jA

[Ken Lyons]

Lake Passaic for instance. Now the Great Swamp. Of course modern fertilizers accelirarate the prodcess..

[thmyorke1]

we need another ice age to carve out 200ft deep lakes :D

[bulletbob]

[QUOTE=thmyorke1;573531]we need another ice age to carve out 200ft deep lakes :D[/QUOTE\

I have news for you- We have 600 foot deep, 40 mile long lakes up here, that show signs of eutrophication.. Big time.

First signs usually show as rock bottoms that were previously clean becoming covered in muck, snotweed of various species etc. Plants everywhere that were NEVER there before. What I have seen up here in the glacial Finger Lakes in the past 30 years has been heartbreaking.

There's a reason these lakes have to be stocked extensively to keep fish in them.


It occurs naturally the eutrophication process. However, farms, runoff from thousands of lawns, streets, septic tanks, speeds up the process a hundred fold... Everyone wants a piece of the lakes, and those with the means build sprawling mansions on every square inch they can get a hold of... The damage is extensive, and in my very uneducated opinion is non reversible at this point... I won't belabor the issue, but I live here, and what I have witnessed since 1991 has been extremely sad.... bob