Pelicans on cannon lake

[MinnesotaMongo]

I like to run up next to the overhanging trees on Lura with my son sitting in the bow - because I know that Cormorants - like Imperial Star Cruisers - like to jettison their "Trash" before they go into hyper-space...

"Dad, that one almost hit me!"

Hey Da Chis - thanks for the great information...

[Team Otter]

skarupa13, it’s nice to see some lakeshore residents are interested in the well being of the lake they live on and specifically the fisheries. In my observations, I’ve come across fewer and fewer lake shore property owners that actually fish, so having someone take an interest in the lake and fish species is great to see.

Here's my $0.02. Your colonial waterbirds to colonial settlers analogy is a bit off. Cormorants and pelicans have been here for a long time; their ecological niche has been carved out and their population cycles are self-regulating. For example, you might remember when a bunch of colonies of cormorants and pelicans were hit by Newcastle virus last fall. Cormorants and pelicans are federally protected species that can be controlled by permits issued by the USFWS if there is damage to private property or public resources, like unique vegetation or vulnerable fisheries communities. An environmental impact statement would have to be generated to get one of these permits and I have my doubts if Cannon lake could show documented public or private resource impacts at a level to justify a permit. Also, harvesting or harassing federally protected species is illegal.

In the stained waters of southern Minnesota, pelicans will never by themselves be able to decimate any fish population. They are sight feeders that are completely opportunistic. They tend to feed on the most abundant prey item; whatever species is most readily available is the first species taken. They will not decimate an entire fish population in just a few days and they are not superefficient predatory machines (I hope some of the comments I’m reading are in jest!)

Scientific literature has shown that cormorants and pelicans eat small fish, two to six inches long, that are the most readily available to them rather than selecting certain fish species. In Cannon, the most abundant fish species in this size range are carp, freshwater drum, bullheads, yellow perch, bluegill, crappies, and minnow species. You’d be hard pressed to find many walleye in the diet.

Overall keep in mind that low fish (i.e. walleye) abundance could be from a variety of factors here in southern MN: winterkill, weather, spawning/stocking year class survival, nutrient loading, fishing pressure, vegetation shifts, other species impacts, etc. It comes down to so much more than apparent or perceived bird predation. I think that’s why you are seeing so much research on the subject, including Leech Lake.

The status of the fishery for Cannon Lake (2004) on Lake Finder at the DNR website offers some clues as to what is going on with the walleye population: “Walleye catch per gill net was at a moderate level and had declined from previous surveys in 1994 and 1999. High catches of young-of-year walleye in fall electrofishing samples (greater than 50 per hour) occurred in 1990, 1992, 1994, and 1996. Catches in the late 1990's through 2003 were low. This apparently low walleye recruitment over that last seven years appears to have resulted in the reduced walleye abundance in Cannon Lake. Young-of-year abundance in fall 2004 electrofishing was the second highest recorded and may result in an improved walleye population in Cannon Lake by 2006 and 2007. The 2004 walleye population was primarily age 3 fish from the 2001 year class when a large naturally spawned year class occurred in Tetonka and Upper Sakatah lakes and to a lesser extent in Cannon Lake.”

It appears as if the 2004 year class didn't pan out by the accounts given in this thread. Cannon lake is due to have netting data updated, but you can see how easily it is for the lake to have high and low walleye abundances. Factoring in that the lake is not a closed system further compounds things. The Outdoor News came today and the featured lake on the back page was Byllesby. There was a comment by Kevin Stauffer, the DNR manager at Lake City about how walleyes seem to move into the lake during the winter and stay in the river during the summer. Who's to say the same thing isn't happening at Cannon Lake?

I figured you'd chime in. Thanks a ton Scott.

[Muddog]

Nice work TO and an at-a-boy!

[skip across]

I have tried contacting the DNR in waterville 3 times with no answer. I apreciate all the responses and information people have posted.

To respond to some of the posts:

1: the pelicans spend their day where the cannon river widdens, between the highway 60 bridge and warsaw. I figure they stay there during the day because most of the baitfish congregate there. In the early morning and at night they fly and land on the west side of the warsaw bridge, where they stay fro about 2 hours and feast.

2: With the water being at the level it is currently, about 90% of the water west of the warsaw bridge is less than 2 feet deep.

3: I am not saying that all the fish they are eating are walleyes; qhite the contrary. I feel that most of the fish they are eating are baitfish(exclusively shinners that I have seen at the top of the water in the evenings). I do think that with the water being low they are able to feed on fish that relate to the bottom, including walleyes. What I feel is that if the pelicans are eating all the baitfish, what is going to be left for the walleyes(and other preditors) to eat?

4: As of right now I understand that these birds are protected and as a concerned angler I cannot take a proactive approach to this problem (AKA my remmington semi-auto), but if I happen to enjoy a leasurely canoe ride around the lake in the evening (right before sunset), I dont see a problem with that.

[Muddog]

Quote:

I feel is that if the pelicans are eating all the baitfish, what is going to be left for the walleyes(and other preditors) to eat?

And the answer is; My lure!!!!

The odds were just tipped in you favor.

Good luck and good fishing.

[gspman]

There were a ton of Pelicans in Cedar Lake by Faribault for the last week or so and frankly I welcome them. My hope is that they'll thin out the stunted panfish in that lake so that some will grow to a reasonable size.