Cook County News Herald

DNR seeks comments on Grand Marais area lake and stream management plans




Citizens interested in learning about or commenting on Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) strategies for managing Grand Marais area lakes and streams have until Jan. 3 to ask questions or submit comments.

“Management plans describe the past, present and desired future conditions of the waters,” said Steve Persons, Grand Marais area fisheries supervisor. “The plans identify specific management activities planned for that lake or stream in the next 5 to 20 years. They include background on the lake including water chemistry, temperature, and species present which is important in understanding the potential of a fishery.”

Every year DNR fisheries staff prepares or revises individual lake and stream management plans for several waters in each management area. In the Grand Marais area, plans for the following lakes and streams will be reviewed.

Current plans for lakes and streams in the area as well as recent fish population assessment information are available for review at the DNR’s Grand Marais area fisheries office, 1356 E. Highway 61, Grand Marais, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. For information, call or email Steve Persons, 218- 387-3056 or steve.persons@ state.mn.us.

Comments and suggestions on other streams and lakes in the area are welcomed at any time and will be considered when those plans are due for review.

Lakes

. Aspen – evaluate current
walleye stocking program.
. Ball Club – determine
whether renewed walleye
stocking is needed.
. Barker – determine
whether renewed walleye
stocking is needed.
. Birch – evaluate current
brook and rainbow trout
stocking programs.
. Cascade – future
survey needs, monitoring
walleye and northern pike
populations.
. Cherokee – review status
of lake trout population,
establish plans for future
surveys.
. Daniels – review status
of lake trout population,
establish plans for future
surveys.
. Devil Track – evaluate
current walleye stocking
program.
. Duncan – review status
of lake trout population,
establish plans for future
surveys.
. East Bearskin – evaluate
current walleye stocking
program, determine
whether lake trout stocking
should continue.
. Flour – evaluate current
walleye stocking program,
determine whether lake
trout stocking should
continue.

. Homer – consider need for
renewed walleye stocking.
. Hungry Jack – evaluate
current walleye stocking
program.
. Little Saganaga
review status of lake trout
population, establish plans
for future surveys.
. Lizz – discontinue brook
trout stocking due to an
influx of northern pike.
. Marsh – consider
management as a panfish
lake.
. Mauser – schedule
a survey to determine
suitability for stream trout
management.
. Mavis – evaluate current
brook trout stocking
program.
. Meditation – evaluate
current brook trout stocking
program.
. Missing Link – evaluate
current brook trout stocking
program.
. Mush – schedule a survey
to determine suitability for
stream trout management.
. Olga – evaluate current
stream trout stocking
program.
. Pancore – evaluate
current splake stocking
program.
. Round – evaluate current
walleye stocking program.

. Shoe – evaluate current
brook trout and splake
stocking programs.
. Squint – determine
whether more active
walleye management is
needed.
. Talus – evaluate current
rainbow trout stocking
program.
. Two Island – future survey
needs, monitor walleye and
northern pike populations,
and evaluate the current
smallmouth bass regulation.
. Wench – evaluate current
brook trout stocking
program.
. West Pike – review status
of lake trout population,
establish plans for future
surveys.
. White Pine – determine
whether walleye stocking is
needed.
. In addition, plans for
several Boundary Waters
Canoe Area Wilderness
lakes in the area, including
Zephyr, Kingfisher, Red
Rock, Ray, Owl, Frost,
Gordon, Gaskin, Bull, South,
Lux, Carl, Swamp, and Little
Caribou will be updated.
These plans will be revised
solely to establish survey
schedules on those lakes for
the next few years.

Streams

. Gauthier Creek – managed as a steelhead spawning
and nursery stream, plan will focus on habitat protection,
restoration, and monitoring.
. Monker Creek – managed as a brook trout stream, plan
will focus on habitat protection, restoration, and monitoring,
based on results of a stream survey completed in 2013.
. Poplar River – managed as a brook trout stream, and as a
steelhead spawning and nursery stream. Plan will focus on
habitat protection, restoration, and monitoring, including
more intensive monitoring of the lower two miles of the
stream.
. Timber Creek – managed as a brook trout stream, plan
will focus on habitat protection, restoration, and monitoring.
Options for habitat improvement will be considered.



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