Upstream Of Zumbro Lake

[JBMasterAngler]

Where are some accessible spots on the zumbro upstream from the lake where I can catch some smallies, and possibly a brown trout or 2? I'll be wading, and plan on working various access points all the way down to the 'sippi. I've always started at zumbro falls and worked my way down, but now am curious if there's any spots right off hwy 52 to start at.

[Catmaster1]

If you want to canoe the Oronoco branch down to the lake you can put in just down the road from the salvage yard in Oronoco but you will have to paddle all the way to the landing where Sandy Point used to be. Honestly, it isn't worth the effort unless you are targeting sheephead or Cats at night. As for Brown trout, someone can correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think it is even a possiblity.

[JBMasterAngler]

I've caught browns in the zumbro before, never this late into the year, but they're in there at least in the spring. I guess if I do decide to hit up the zumbro I'll just start at zumbro falls again (site of my biggest brown out of the river). We'll see what happens.

[ikeslayer]

i don't know of any browns above the dam. I am sure there are smallies in Lake shady and i know there are smallies largies and northerns from the the silverlake dam to Lake zumbro. Good luck on your voyage. let us know how it goes. ike

[Lew]

I wouldn't bet the farm on finding smallies in Lake Shady. It's been a few years now, but I took my canoe on Lake Shady looking for crappies. Most of the lake is extremely shallow filled with silt. Up stream from Lake Shady heading on the southern branch you would eventually head to Oxbow Park and yes you will find smallies along the way. A couple of years ago some kid even caught a trout below the dam in Mantorville. I have no clue where he would have come from.

Last summer while Lake Shady's levels were way down for the road project would have been an excellent opportunity to clean out some of that silt and possibly restore at least a small fishery. Unfortunately I think the dam will fall apart before something is done with Lake Shady.

[storminspank]

I would think the construction has reeked havoc on Lake Shady. Can't think it would help the fishing on it. Personally, I think it looks like a dump right now.

[JBMasterAngler]

I drive past shady at least twice a week and even before the construction began it wasn't looking that great. Looks as though it's mostly a roughfish breeding ground. Personally I think it'd be better for the river if the dam was taken down.

Didn't hit zumbro because of the weather on saturday...unfortunately that may have been my only oppurtunity to go down there for the year. All I managed to do was soak a nightcrawler on the vermillion for a couple hours in the evening.

[crazyice]

I am not sure what would be better, destroying the dam or trying to restore the lake. I for one would vote for restoration. This area is devoid of enough actual large bodies of water for fishing. We have a few resivoirs in the Rochester area and Lake Zumbro, that's it. If there was some way to drain the lake, dredge it and make it fishable again, I would be all for it.

[JBMasterAngler]

What was the original purpose of the dam? When was it built?

[Reservoir Dawg]

Thats a good question. Lake Shady (originally Lake Allis ) was damed up for a mill.Believe it or not it was a very popular picnic/resort area back in the day,with a swimming beach.I would love to see it dredged out to a useable depth again.

Here's some history http://www.oronoco.com/history7951626.asp

[Lew]

Quote:

---

Personally I think it'd be better for the river if the dam was taken down.

---

Unfortunately the demise of the Lake Shady dam would only multiply the problems for Lake Zumbro. I believe that most of the fill behind the Lake Shady dam is silt. Send that down stream and you would only end up with a larger Lake Shady II.

[Hooked_on_Salmo_Lures]

Quote:

---

Send that down stream and you would only end up with a larger Lake Shady II.

---

I don't think any of us want to see lake zumbro turn into another lake shady. I do agree that they should dredge the lake out, would be a great source of revenu for the town. What would the out come of doing nothing but sitting on there hands be? Would doing nothing eventually lead to "removal of the da.mn? as the lake silts up, would it not choke off the da.mn any way? I have been to the Oronoco web site before to see what is being done about the lakes condition,...but didn't see the history clip,...interesting!

[Lew]

I agree with you Salmo. They are dealing with a very similar situation over in Rapidan near Mankato. The lake behind the da.mn in nearly all silt and now they are dealing with fixing holes in the da.mn. I think the benefit to Oronoco of having a lake that attracts families and fishermen could be huge. My guess is that the permits and paperwork involved could take longer to deal with then the hwy 52 road project.

[Hooked_on_Salmo_Lures]

That could be Part of it lew, I work with a lady who lives in Oronoco,...er husband hs been on some of the different township boards. She dirrected me to that city of Oronoco web site,...they talked about plans for the lake and that the main issues they were having was funding. I think that they funded a trip to the cities last fall to loby congress for help with the funding,..but i have not been back on since to see if there were any results. I was thinking about this topic all day at work today, renuall of lake shady could be great for many things, oronoco is practicly a suburb of rochester, the town could grow more,..and what a better way to use all that land that the state had to buy out to re-do 52? I could see alot of nice parks and public boat landing,...not to mention, with another big body of water close to town maybee the fishing and recreationall presher would be evened out between the two lakes to make both a lil more enjoyable!!! I just think its ashame to see suck a valuable resource like that to just sit there going to waste!! that lake is filling up pretty quick, and if they let it get to the point that removal of the da.mn is the only "cheep" option left, that i think would spell doom for alot more than just lake zumbro,...the whole river would be in jeopordy,...thats alot of silt,...and its gonna fill in every where down stream!! Also with a faster current due to removal of the da.mn,...just think how much more tree debris, ans litter will make it to lake zumbro,...just my thoughts i guess,...wish there was something more we could do to get the lake the help it needs!!

[Hooked_on_Salmo_Lures]

Hey, On a side note,...seeing how this threed has been geared alot toward lake shady, Has any one fished right around that da.mn this year,..and has any one taken a boat out there that might have some depths,...or type and size of fish caught? I have been thinking that with the condition of the lake, and almost never seeing any one fishing that lake much,..in the last 10 or so years, that there must be a bunch of lunkers right in that bay behind the da.mn,...if that is one of the only "deep" (just going of a guess on the "deep" part) that it would kind of issolate the fish to that part of the lake. Would make a great cpr trip!!!

[heavyduty]

Growing up on lake shady since 1979 and with my dad still living there i saw first hand how much the lake has silted in. When we first moved there in 79 it was 2-3 feet deep behind our house and a good 5-6 feet deep in the channel, now what hasn't filled in completly behind the house is only a couple of inches deep with the channel 1-2 feet. My dad was pretty involved the lake shady preservation assc. in the 90's and from what I remember is that money wasn't the only issue.

pollution in the silt what could be done with the soil if it was not good for top soil?

money to fix the problem up stream and in the lake, dredging was just part of the soultion it would not prevent the lake from doing it again.

some locals did not like the idea of lake shady being a public lake open to the general public they began to like the idea of a quite lake, so the thought was to make private to Oronoco residents only, but that would have made funding alot harder to get.

as far a fishing in the the only we caught were carp and bullheads on a regular basis,

as much as I would like see the lake be brought up to same condition as the lower lake for fishing and recreation I don't think lake shady will ever get there due lack of funding and support for the project. And after the 52 project I don't think oronoco wants anything to do with state and federal govt. They may told they will get this great fihing lake and end up with a creek though the city.

[eronningen]

I don't know a good solution.

I do also believe that since the 52 construction that the river runs alot more muddy all of the time.

My mom and grand parents lived on Shady in the 60's. The used to water ski, power boat and fish. There was alot of deep water to be had. Like mentioned before, now its just a shallow muck hole. It'll be like stewartville's little lake. Gone. Its too bad. It could be dredged, some traps built, fix the landing and make it a place to run a pontoon around and for people to have some fun. If anything just make it look decent to drive by. It looks terrible since the construction.

If they let the water go for a half a day too long after a gully washer 3/4 of the lake bed shows.

[penguin]

I live in Oronoco now and I think Lake Shady is a lost cause. It would take a few million to even think about dredging it, and with a city budget of $500K a year, that just isn't happening. The city would have a revolt on their hands if people saw that added to their taxes. They would also have to find a place to store all of the silt. From talking to CrappieTom when fishing with him, they dredged out the Zum by where he lives and you have to store all of that for a few years in a lined pit so there is no cross contamination. If this is the case, no dice for ever getting it done. People will just have to wait until next year or so when the Country Club pit project opens. Speaking of which....any news on that? New thread?

[ikeslayer]

Quote:

---

People will just have to wait until next year or so when the Country Club pit project opens. Speaking of which....any news on that? New thread?

---

i wondered that aswell

i will start it up