Water Levels?

[HockeyFisherman17]

Can any one tell me how the water levels are looking on Kab?

[overdalimit]

They are lower than normal but coming up steadily. I would say that the lake is 2 1/2 to 3 ft lower than normal for this time of the year. Outer crib type docks are usable but most boat landings are hurting except for the steep/deep ones like woodenfrog and the visitors center. The up side of this is that low water years are good for the walleye year class!

[Dock Boy]

Water levels are coming up daily and will continue with the area now getting some much needed moisture. The lake level is really only about a 1ft lower than usual. With another 4 to 6 inches most resort will be able to use most of thier crib style docks. With that said I enjoyed a converstion with an old timer on the lake and through his research high water years are usually the best for fish reproduction. With the new slot limit in effect we will be reaping the benifits in a few years. Good luck and leave some fish in the lake for the rest of us.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

So what's "new" about the slot limit? Seems to me that it's been around for a while now. We should be seeing the payoff by now.

[Xplorer]

WIWF,

The slot was changed this year from last. The slot for the next 5 years is: 6 walleye's/saugers under 17" may be kept with no more than 4 of those being walleye (there is no more 13" minimum, and only 4 walleyes may be kept).

All fish between 17" to 28" must be released (upper limit was 23" before). One fish over 28" may be kept.

And yes, we have been seeing the positive effect of the slot for a few years now

[Dock Boy]

With the previous slot in effect we have seen some good year classes of fish. Kab is chuck full of 18-24 in fish. Anyone that has fished Kabby knows thier are lots of these. The bigger spawning fish protect them and we will have more great years to come.

[overdalimit]

DockBoy,

It is my understanding that the 1996 year class is a very strong group of fish (low water year) as is 2001 which if memory servs me was a lower water year also... I know that there are some long time guides of the norwiegian persuasion (which I hold in VERY high esteem)that have been there and done it all. I too have listened with great intrest to some of the real life experiances of these fellows. I have heard them say that the lake is not the same as it used to be. Perhaps with the high population of cormmerants and the rising population of bass the lake is changing. Perhaps the big fish are eating the little fish? Perhaps we should bring back commercial fishing? I think that we should just sit back and give the new slot some more time to work. I know that the slot has worked well on Mille Lacs and Rainey. Rainey and Kab are not that disimilar in Geological makeup or location so the idea that a slot only works in a shallower lake doesn't make sense to me. We will know once they do another survey of the lake if the low water really does help the walleye or if it hurts them. Remember that when Kab was in its hayday there were a lot more low water years back before the IJC. Just my humble opinion.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Thanks for the update Explorer. I was not aware of the changes. We are actualy thinking of trying Rainy this year because of some less then expected results from trips to Kab/Namakan.