Pelican Lake Public Info Meeting

[Dooley87]

 Quote:

The main plan is to bring the lake 1.5 feet below the ordinary high water (OHW) mark, which is about 2.5 feet below current levels. With this managment level the lake will winterkill more frequently, but fish will survive.

why don't they just appeal to both sides, drain lake 3-4 feet and then add an aireation system to avoid mass winterkill, cause after all winterkill is the main reason the fisherman are opposed right? i'm right in the middle on this issue, i only duck hunt up north but i fish down here and up there so i would prefer for it to stay fishable but i am neutral on the subject.

[Midwestmigrator]

isnt it a designated wildlife managment lake?

[Dooley87]

i am no expert and remember that i am neutral on this subject, whether they drain this lake or not will not harshly affect me, i have only fished it a few times and would love to fish it more but if i can't o well.

so that being said i feel that from what i have heard and seen that this fishery has just boomed in the past years, i went out there a few times this year tip up fishing and heard of two 20lb+ pike speard and countless 10-15 lb pike being caught, have heard all the stories of huge crappies and bluegills, haven't targeted them but have heard of people siting on top of schools of 14-15" crappies all day long. why ruin a good thing? you may have to drive 2 hrs to good hunting grounds but you would have to do drive the same to get to a fishery of the same stature if this was drained. don't get me wrong i'm fine catching 9 inch crappies and 4 pound pike out of nieghbooring waters but i don't have the time or money to go on big fishing trips to catch trophies. if this lake can produce big fish fast because they grow quick then why doesn't the dnr exploit that?

ducks are so complicated anyways as far as flight patterns and migrations, there could be a million explanations why the ducks don't fly over minnesota anymore what happens if you do drain the lake, then the waterfowl travel doesn't increase but your hunter pop increases. sounds like lose-lose-lose to me, no fish and no ducks and more hunters. has anybody ever thought that it is possible that over hunting has seasoned these ducks to fly right over? anyways i need to stop ranting here because this doesn't affect me cause i don't fish it enough but why ruin a good thing (fishing) for something that probably won't get much better anyway (ducks)?

[stretch]

my bad ya i shouldn't have talked about farmers loosing the land because you are right about them draining the wetlands. but what about the homeowners on the lake. one of my friends have a nice lawn right up to the lake and as the water rises they will loose that.

and ya i want to see more ducks on the lake and if the close that lake to all waterfowl hunting then ya i would be fine by that also. then at least there will be some more birds in the area.

if they leave the lake the way it is, it will never have clear water. just because their is too much run off and then all the rough fish trive in that. so they stur up the sediments on the bottom. which makes it dirty and no weeds can grow. which then their won't be alot of food for the ducks.

and ya the lake is a desinated waterfowl lake. that is why the dnr is buying up all the land around the lake and some people are donating it also.

[stretch]

and i do believe you k dawg. but i went out to clearwater and buffalo during early ice and i caught a few 14" crappies during early ice and out on clearwater i was catching 8.5" sunfish in a couple of spots. and ya i know some private lakes that hold some very nice crappies and sunnies but the only way i found out about those spots is because i spend alot of time out trapping, scouting and hiking the country side. so ya i am fortunate about that. but it isn't that hard going out and talking to farmers that have land next to a private lake.

[borchawk1]

Even with the draw down I don't think numbers will improve. I'm amazed that no one has been shot out there over turf. I've hunted the lake early in the season and the last weekend, it doesn't matter, the access is packed and you can't look more than a couple of hundred of yards between spreads. Draining the lake may improve production, but it I doubt any of those ducks will be around for the second weekend with all the pressure. I can catch pressured fish, but pressured ducks are nearly impossible to shoot, especially with guys sky busting to your left and right.

I can understand both sides, and I agree with a previous post, both sides want it their way for selfish reasons...which is fine. I think that if they do drain it they'll just screw someone else over down the line on a different lake or stretch of river. The water table for that whole area has risen over the last couple of decades, where's the water going to go? Into another lake that can't handle it? What happens when it dries up 10 years after it's been drained, will DU be begging the DNR to pump water into to help waterfowl production (at our expense)?

[stretch]

they just want to manage the water table with valves. so i highly doubt that the lake will dry up in 10 years.

have you every hunted pelican during the week. it can be some very good hunting. you can have the lake all to your self sometimes. ya i know what it's like during the weekend. but when other seasons open up their is less and less people out their as the season goes on.

[jbell1981]

 Originally Posted By: borchawk1

I think that if they do drain it they'll just screw someone else over down the line on a different lake or stretch of river. The water table for that whole area has risen over the last couple of decades, where's the water going to go? Into another lake that can't handle it?

The plan is to drain it to the Crow river, which heads to the Mississippi then on to the Gulf of Mexico.

[Midwestmigrator]

I shoot limits out there reguraly its called scouting. Kinda like going and fishing with the "mob" you may catch a few but it aint the honey hole.

[a47mlb]

I've been following this thread for a bit now, and feel it's time to jump in. I can understand both sides of this situation, and as someone mentioned before, one side is not going to like the outcome.

But the deal breaker in this situation that folks need to understand is the designation of the lake. It's not just "any other lake". It is designated a Wildlife Management Lake (WML)under the states Shallow Lakes Program. That is fact.

Educate yourself here: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/wildlife/shallowlakes/designation.html

It has been designated this way since 1977. It is one of only 40 of our "10,000 Lakes" designated this way. If the state had been managing the lake as a WML in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation. The lake wouldn'd be this flooded and fishing wouldn't have ever been this good. But I do give credit to the state for taking this step and returning this shallow lake to the way Mother Nature intended it to be before the white man showed up. Did you know that back in the 50's the FWS was looking at this lake as a Nat'l Wildlife Refuge? It is that important for waterfowl. So I say, restore it.

To the fisherman bad-mouthing the DNR against the drawdown; I say be thankful to the DNR for letting the lake get this bad, or you wouldn't be fishing it now. You're always complaining about the DNR not doing thier job. Well, now thay are, you can't have it both ways. You had some great years, and made some good memories. Be thankful for that.

[Bullwinkled]

Pelican as a fishing lake will detiorate rapidly with the fishing pressure it is experiencing. 100's of people were ice fishing on weekends. Every Lake I know of over the last 30 years that got hot was fished out of quality fish very soon after it was identified.Right now Pelican is on the downside of it's peak, as soon as it requires skill to catch the few remaining larger fish the hordes will be gone. I do not hunt ducks, I do bass and panfish on Pelican. I think the real key here is restoring establishing a wildlife area. We have plenty of lakes for fishing, there are very few wetlands in the Metro area that could match Pelican for production of ducks and other wildlife. I say drain and let nature take over.

[noodlerod]

K Dawg , I can vouch for stretch , there are lakes in the wright county area that hold these size of fish and you can catch them on a pretty regular bases, and they are not private but very public waters .. I've been hearing of pelican all winter but never went there for 2 reasons , 1rst the crowds , who wants to fish with a thousand other guys , at least it looked like that many . 2nd have'nt needed to , I have been catching fish of this size ( not all but some ) and some even bigger .

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[noodlerod]

very very true , I agree again 300%

[walleyetighe]

Let nature take over...but man will manage the water table with valves? Very interesting. If nature truely took over and the water went down on its own, then so be it.

Midwestmigrator shoots limits out there regularly. What is the problem with leaving it and utilizing it as a fishery?

Yes, the water has gone up a foot or two due to the farming in the area. Once again, it is what it is. I am not against duck hunting on the lake. It sounds like it is great. It is utilized by both now. I don't believe any of the duck hunters would be in favor of fisherman pushing to have the marshes they use flooded for the purpose of fishing.

[rockman]

a47mlb,welcome to fishingminnesota.com, and the Annandale-Buffalo-Big Lake forum.Thanks for contributing to the thread,with another perspective to the issue at hand.

[a47mlb]

 Originally Posted By: walleyetighe

Let nature take over...but man will manage the water table with valves? Very interesting. If nature truely took over and the water went down on its own, then so be it.

Because Man has destroyed what nature intended (tiling and draining of farm fields into Pelican), Man has to use means (valves) to simulate what is natural. If you went to every farmer who's water drains into Pelican, and broke all the tile, the lake would return to natural deapths and there wouldn't be a need for the valves.

[a47mlb]

 Originally Posted By: walleyetighe

What is the problem with leaving it and utilizing it as a fishery?

Because, by statute, it is designated as a Wildlife Management Lake. So by statute, thay are required to manage it that way.

The hunters want 40 designated lakes managed for hunting. That leaves 11,802 lakes over 10 acres fishable.

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[Coach1310]

From the sounds of this forum, that meeting is gonna be pretty intense.

[rockman]

Folks, obviously we have a situation here with the future of Pelican Lake, that has some strong sentiments from all sides. Let's stay on the topic at hand,and keep within the guidelines of the forum.Play nice.

[walleyetighe]

would there be an issue with dropping it by a foot and a half (to its level in 1909) and adding aerators?

[a47mlb]

The state will manage the lake for wildlife, as per it's designation. Now, with that said, if the fish respond to that also, great. But the priority is wildlife. It's more than likly not going to be the end of fishing, just maybe not as good as now.

One other think to keep in mind, by it's designation, the state can ban all motorized vehicles at any time, if thay see fit. So it's in everyones best interest not to do stupid things that could mess that up for the rest. If folks keep leaving trash on the ice, or if bassboats, snowmobilers, ATV'rs, etc. are being reckless and disturbing wildlife/people, the state holds the right at any time to put an end to all of it.

[stretch]

 Originally Posted By: walleyetighe

Midwestmigrator shoots limits out there regularly.

and i believe the midwestmigrator is shooting limits regularly but i can guess his limits can include teal, woodducks, some mallards, maybe a gadwall and some honkers.

now it would be nice to have the lake hold some redheads, pintails, ringnecks, bluebills, canvasbacks, more mallards and gadwalls, goldeneyes, buffaloheads, and any other duck that i forgot to mention.

the only way to have them come around is if we have a food source for them. and the only way to do that is draw the lake down so more vegitation grows and more inverabrates. that won't happen if the water stays that high.

[Superduty]

As a designated wildlife lake it needs to be managed for wildlife-plain and simple. I love fishing and hunting the lake as much as anybody. With the fishing pressure it is seeing now, the size structure of the panfish is going to diminish quickly. When easy limits of big fish are gone, fishing pressure will drop off. This isn't the first time fishing has been good out there. It's just the first time fishing has been good and people blabbed all over the internet about it and attracted crowds. Give it time. The big panfish will get harvested (or winterkilled) and people will forget about it. The debate will take care of itself in a few short years.

Restore it for the ducks. Don't expect miracles. Pelican is a metro lake that gets pounded by hunters. It will never be anything more than that.

[stretch]

here is some more info about pelican lake that i got in an email from the area wildlife manager.

Dear Pelican Lake RP Work Group Members:

I want to specially invite you to the proposed Pelican Lake Restoration

Project public information meeting on April 9, 2008 in St. Michael. See

the information below for details. Feel free to pass this news release

around as you see fit.

Progress with the Pelican Lake Restoration Project is moving forward!

I wanted to host a local public information meeting about the proposed

project before the EAW is published. With all the different Pelican

Lake interests, it should be a lively public meeting and I anticipate it

will be well attended.

No firm EAW release date has been made yet, but we are hoping for some

time in May, 2008.

Thanks again for your work and assistance on this important initiative!

I look forward to seeing some of you at the meeting.

Also this was from the public affairs officer dnr central region.

A former mecca for ducks and waterfowl hunters in eastern Wright County

could make a comeback under plans being developed by the Minnesota DNR

and partners to construct an outlet on Pelican Lake that would allow for

the lake’s water levels to be managed.

On Wednesday, April 9, 2008, from 7-9 p.m. in the St.

Michael-Albertville High School Auditorium (11343 50th St. NE,

Albertville, MN 55301), the DNR will present information on a proposal

to manage water levels on the 4000-acre designated wildlife lake. DNR

has been working for several years with local government, state and

federal agencies, landowners and conservation groups such as Ducks

Unlimited, the Minnesota Waterfowl Association and Pheasants Forever to

improve Pelican Lake’s water quality and its value as waterfowl

habitat.

Over the past 30 years, the lake has suffered from persistent flooding

and deterioration of shallow water areas. Recurring algae blooms have

blocked sunlight, limiting the growth of important rooted aquatic plants

that provide food and shelter for waterfowl and other wetland wildlife

species. Rough fish and summer wave action on this unprotected shallow

lake bottom have further degraded the lake’s water quality.

Lowering water levels would recreate a more normal cycle wherein rough

fish populations would be reduced as a result of more frequent

winterkills. Ideally, a management drawdown would be started after a

natural moderate to severe winter fish kill with the goal of

significantly reducing rough fish populations. Lower water levels, and

increased water clarity from elimination of rough fish, would allow

re-establishment of important aquatic plants.

If an outlet for Pelican Lake were constructed, water likely would flow

southeast from the lake through the City of St. Michael by way of Regal

Creek. City officials have participated in development of the plans. A

180-acre wetland restoration upstream from the Crow River would buffer

and clean water coming from the lake and surrounding uplands.

Through public land acquisition, the DNR and U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service are working together within the Pelican Lake watershed to buffer

and protect as much of the Pelican Lake shoreline as possible. In

addition, a new multi-agency initiative to conserve areas on private

land within the lake’s watershed has been approved.

Pelican Lake historically has been a vital spring and fall lake for

migratory waterfowl and other wetland bird species, as well as an

important breeding area. Growing concerns over declines in migratory

waterfowl populations in Minnesota, especially diver duck species, have

increased efforts statewide to improve shallow lake habitat that has

deteriorated.

[borchawk1]

[borchawk1]

I got a 9-5 job, I have to hit the lake the same time as all the other M-F folks do...the weekend. There may be less people there once pheasent and deer opens up, but there's still plenty of rigs at the access then. At some point hunting gets a little depressing when you need to be at the lake by 2:00 to get a decent place in line. If they do drain it they need to add another access.

As for the valves, I may have exaggerated with it drying up in 10 years, but the reason the lake is so high isn't just from farming...has anyone looked at Beebe and Blue Mountain in the last decade? They have risen at least 4', I doubt it's from the same farmer.

I'll be at the school for the forum to put my two cents in...for what its' worth, once the DNR gets it mind made up to do something you better stand back and wait for the smoke to clear.

 Originally Posted By: stretch

they just want to manage the water table with valves. so i highly doubt that the lake will dry up in 10 years.

have you every hunted pelican during the week. it can be some very good hunting. you can have the lake all to your self sometimes. ya i know what it's like during the weekend. but when other seasons open up their is less and less people out their as the season goes on.

[jbell1981]

 Originally Posted By: borchawk1

If they do drain it they need to add another access.

There are currently 4 parking areas that you can easily access the lake. 3 of them are carry in only.

[jbell1981]

 Originally Posted By: borchawk1

As for the valves, I may have exaggerated with it drying up in 10 years, but the reason the lake is so high isn't just from farming...has anyone looked at Beebe and Blue Mountain in the last decade? They have risen at least 4', I doubt it's from the same farmer.

No its not the "same farmer". Draining wetlands, drain tiling & ditch running are a state wide problem that greatly affects many areas. This just didn't happen over night, these practices have been going on for years and over time they compound each other until you have a noticeable change in a given area. Many of the current farm landowners are not the ones who manipulated the land, it was already done when they bought the property.

[a47mlb]

 Originally Posted By: borchawk1

but the reason the lake is so high isn't just from farming...

You're right. It isn't the only reason. Other factors include urban sprawl, laying concrete everywhere which causes water to rush into the lake instead of slowly soaking into the earth and being filtered naturally. So these are just more reasons why Man has to manually manage the lake as nature intended. Thanks for helping me make my point. These reasons are why the state and feds are buying up land, to keep the lake from becoming a Minnetonka. If that happened, and the lake stayed flooded, the fisherman wouldn't be able to just pull off the side the road and access the lake as they do now, because you'd have a houses and manicured lawns ringing the thing. There would be very limited access, and then we'd be discussing that here.

[BartmanMN]

"Turning into a Minnetonka" may be a stretch. It's a 15 ft lake.