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A friend of mine took his boat out on Silver lake the other day and what a shock.

Lot's of dead walleyes from 15-21 inches and tons of 9-12 inch crappie floating. Carp also and the loss I would guess was bad as even the bullheads took a hard hit.

So sad when this happens as the lake was just getting good again for fishing.

The DNR has been stocking eyes in this lake every other year so hopefully this spring or summer, it will get another stocking as the last year it was stocked was 2011.

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Thats what happens when they try to stock duck lakes and make them into fish lakes. Prior to stocking there wasn't any fish in that lake for a good reason. Because they cannot sustain.

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They use to have a aeration system in the lake until approx 3 years ago. The fish had survived until this season.

The DNR stocks many lakes that are more of a put and take lake and many still enjoy these lakes while they do not freeze out.

LOng before they stocked this lake, there were bullheads, carp and nice perch.

I could name many lakes where the DNR does this for the enjoyment of the area anglers.

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You talking about Silver Lake on the edge of the City of Silver Lake? If so, I'll chime in on this one...

Back in the no-snow years, that was a boomer of a walleye fishery. When you look at the "highest and most productive use" of that resource, it could be developed into a heck of a little fishery with some of those fancy new legacy sales tax dollars.

A good dredging might give it what it needs to survive a hard winter, and the land value around it could skyrocket generating mountains of new property tax. Money aside, it could put an end to the giant slough/bad lake identity crisis it's been having.

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I am by the one east of Arlington.

Yes, by Silver lake, the town, same deal. There are many areas lakes that have the same issue.

Titloe by Gaylord, Clear by Gibbon, new Auburn lake by the town, Preston over by Stewart and on and on.

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Thats what happens when they try to stock duck lakes and make them into fish lakes. Prior to stocking there wasn't any fish in that lake for a good reason. Because they cannot sustain.

Very true. But a decision was made back in the late 70's and early 80's that the state wanted "A GAME FISHING LAKE IN EVERY COUNTY IN THE STATE". So the fisheries dept. tried to do just that. Clear lake by Gibbon, Silver by Arlington, are just a couple. Keep in mind Sibley co, which is where both lakes are only has 3 or 4 lakes total. And yes all are duck slews. But that was an initiative that was mandated by the legislature.

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Way more than 3 or 4 lakes in Sibley county. I can think of at least 20 but like you said "They are all duck sloughs. It is too bad that the Silver Lake conservation club fell apart, might have been able to keep the aereation system going in the winter but who knows if that would have prevented the winter kill. The lake needs to be dredged out in a few places but nobody has the money needed for such a project.

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Dredging some lakes can not be done. Or are high risk!

I was a member of the gibbon sportsman's club for many years. Back when they ran a turban air system. Before the airator was installed, we explored and had funding lined up to dredge clear lake. The DNR was on board until after they did some test drilling prior to moving the dredging equipment in. They found that they're was only about 2' to 3' of silt that could be removed. If the dredge went any deeper, they feared that the lake could go dry. Or atleast go really low. The basin, or hard bottom of the lake, that basicly held the water, was not very deep. If that hard base was punctured they did know for sure what might happen?

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A friend of mine took his boat out on Silver lake the other day and what a shock.

Lot's of dead walleyes from 15-21 inches and tons of 9-12 inch crappie floating. Carp also and the loss I would guess was bad as even the bullheads took a hard hit.

So sad when this happens as the lake was just getting good again for fishing.

The DNR has been stocking eyes in this lake every other year so hopefully this spring or summer, it will get another stocking as the last year it was stocked was 2011.

Not surprising to me at all considering the amount of ice and snow we had this winter. That's why I didn't feel bad taking a few 12 inchers to go along with the 18-20 inchers we caught this winter. I had a feeling they were going to freeze out.

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1st time for a freeze out in many years.

Plenty of 9-12 inch walleyes were kept as my friend sai he did not see any smaller walleyes floating.

I understand that some people keep 10-12 inch walleyes and they have the right to. I just cannot get myself to keep that size.

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1st time for a freeze out in many years.

Plenty of 9-12 inch walleyes were kept as my friend sai he did not see any smaller walleyes floating.

I understand that some people keep 10-12 inch walleyes and they have the right to. I just cannot get myself to keep that size.

ya thats to small. a 15 incher can be great eat tho depending on the build.. 16s 17s 18s 19s all preemo. 20 plus depends on the fishery and some other variables...
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The die off could be due to low water levels from last summer/fall as well. Add this with alot of ice and snow and things are going to die in a lake like that. It sucks.

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Way more than 3 or 4 lakes in Sibley county. I can think of at least 20 but like you said "They are all duck sloughs.

Sorry! I was talking about "Viable sporting lakes" Per the DNR. Forgot to add that! The list for sustainable lakes in sibley county back in the 70's was clear, silver, new auburn, and sand was a question mark. None are what we would call sustainable. But when the DNR had to make a list. Those were the ones on it.

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The die off could be due to low water levels from last summer/fall as well. Add this with alot of ice and snow and things are going to die in a lake like that. It sucks.

You hit the nail on the head.

I believe this lake is due to get stocked again this year so that will bring hope for 2 years from now with a hopefully easy winter next winter. Fish seem to grow fast in Silver.

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I'd wonder if this was entirely true (or somebody's sick idea to get a walleye lake to themselves tomorrow) if not for the fact that the bite out there went DEAD later on in the winter as compared to Dec/Early Jan. Maybe a lot of the smaller fish made it thru the winter and just the bigger fish died off...that would help the recovery.

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Tis is no joke, I do not summer fish this lake and rarely fish it in the winter.

Have at it and go out there then you will know I was not trying to keep this for myself. I have a grey 16.5ft lund with a merc on the back. let me know if you see me out there.

I am sure there are a few 8-10 inch eyes swimming around.

I post fishing reports to help others out, not put them off fish. I believe most here on HSO know this, sorry you seem to believe otherwise.

The guy that told me about this is a retired deputy sheriff and he would not make a joke of this with the dead fish as he loves the lake.

Nolan, I was told there were alot of dead crappie up to 12". He said the eyes were all over with some carp and many smaller bullheads.

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