Swan Lake Fishing Reports (Silver Lake)

[outdoorsman_19]

you know im not sure...but im kinda guessing it has

[RiverRunner]

Yeah theres a ton of carp in that lake. Runoff and carp make water quality go to [PoorWordUsage]. The only way to reduce there numbers would be to get rid of the aerator and let the lake winter kill. A lot of gamefish would die off, but you'd also get rid of quite a few carp.

[bassNspear]

do you think this lake would winter kill thow even thow you dont run it. I think its to deep for that, but i could be wrong. Them dead carp would smell horrible!

Maybe we could have a carp tournament out there

[WaveWacker]

Given a winter such as this would obviously lead to very good conditions to winterkill the lake. Unfortunately the majority would just be the game fish as the carp can survive lower o2 levels. Yes SOME carp will die but the goal shouldn't be to just kill some. You have to formulate a plan that is going to get rid of them all or you'll be back to where you started in no time with nothing to show for your original efforts.

To assure a total winterkill you'd be looking at potentially drawing the lake down some right prior to feeze up along with some potential rotenone (or other chemical) treatment. Not saying this is what should be done, but the carp rooting up the bottom will definately create less submergant weed growth (hence fish habitat).

As stated above, ideally would be to look at best management practices (BMP's) that would address/fix up external loading factors in the watershed contributing to the lake. Maybe an effort to get rid of the carp would be efficient but anything above that to clean lup the water in the "tub" isn't cost effective until you clean up the water coming out of the "faucet".

This doesn't just pertain per say to Swan Lake exclusively but to all water bodies in general as well.

[Buckslayer08]

Is the fishing good on swan lake right now?

[Avid Angler]

I haven't been out there, but I would guess fishing on Swan might be tough right now. I have heard it is pretty murky. I t will be good this fall when water temps start to cool down.

[Matt S.]

The DNR could try what they did on lake Riley and Susan.

they catch a bunch of the carp, put tracking tags on them, and then hired some commercial fishermen to net them when they schooled up for the winter.

[WaveWacker]

Keep in mind all the things being done on Riley and Susan (Carver Co.) is research and theories. Personally I have a hard time believing that a reducing in the population is somehow going to be able to be kept "in check" I feel that it's not going to take long before they would repopulate themselves.

Hate to say it, but if one wants to get serious about ridding any body of water of carp, your looking at a draw down/chemical treatment combination and then start over

[runnindummie]

Find a way to clear up the lakes, give me a spot to dump the carp and I'll gladly go out there and shoot all the little buggers I can day after day!

[Matt S.]

Anyone been out on swan recently?

We're thinking of driving out there tomorrow.

[duckhunter1]

fished swan last sat only ones out there landing has open water that we had to jump across then ice was fine i'm sure its unpassable now ,to bad crappies bitting like crazy really nice white crappies numerous little walleyes caught also if catfish dont eat them all should be good fishin come next fall

[Brownton]

Thanks for the good report! Good luck to you this spring!

[Fever]

I didn't know there was White Crappies in Swan. I could be wrong but I'm willing to bet they were lighter colored Blacks. over the past two winters I've caught hundreds of crappies out of swan and have yet to see a white. Find it difficult to beleive that for some reason small 7-9 inch whites just showed up and started biting. The white crappie will have 6 dorsal spines while the black will have 7-8. Often noticable on the whites are darker vertical bars. These bars however are also noticable in the hybrid crappie but the hybrid will also have 7-8 dorsal spines. The thing that throws people the most often is that black crappies will often change color from a dark black to a very light color depending on stress, health, food availibility, depth, and water quality. Like I said I could be wrong, its happened before, just ask my wife. I just personally have never witnessed a white coming out of swan.

[duckhunter1]

i know the difference between the two species and these were whites just ask around many people were catching them this year and they were 9-11" even pulled 3 at a pound each, just look at the dnr lake finder they have netted many whites thru out the years different spots on the lake produced more of them than others in fact the best spot we found is the spot we fish for nice cats in the summer catch whites in the spring in the shallows also. got hit hard this winter lots of fishermen keeping limits we will see how many are left for open water

[Brownton]

I also have heard white crappies being caught out on Swan. Never seen them, but have heard. Don't know if that helps or hurts your case.

[duckhunter1]

people can believe what they want, just trying to help out and post what i know, appriciate all posts, they all help and thats what this web site is about

[LMITOUT]

The lake survey from 2007 shows that some white crappie were present in Swan.