What Happened To Coon Lake Crappies?

[JBMasterAngler]

What has happened to the Coon Lake crappies? Up until about 5 or 6 years ago Coon had been considered one of the top crappie lakes in the metro area for well before I was born. Now I've seen the water quality improve in the lake, while at the same time the crappies have been disappearing. Coincidence? Smallmouth Bass are starting to appear in the lake for the first time ever as well. Is this adding to the downfall of the crappies? Are the bass making their way up Coon Creek from the Mississippi or is someone releasing them into the lake? This is sad because Coon had always been one of my favorite lakes to fish through the ice. Does anyone know what's happening?

[Moses2531]

Too many people, keeping too many fish... Happens on alot of metro lakes...

[Ray Esboldt]

I'd agree. More fishing pressure. Plus, crappies are a fish that is known to cycle through high populations with smaller fish to lower populations with larger fish.

Smallmouth? For real. That's the first I have heard of that one. I can't imagine Coon would be a lake they would flourish in. Who knows how they got in there. My guess would be via a livewell.

[Abrams]

Small lake, over fished, shoreline development, loss of spawning areas, limited practice of C&R. Take your pick.

[Black_Bay]

Lots of theories about what's been happening to Coon Lake crappies. I know the DNR has noticed a reduction in the number of crappies in lakes that have aeration so it's not a coincidence. Bluegills seem to be taking over in many aerated lakes. I remember back when Coon was the go to place for crappies and was one of the few places around you could catch white crappies. White crappies do well in poorer water quality than blacks. Now with better water quality blacks have out competed the whites but bluegills are out doing both of them. I haven't heard about the smallies. I know the lake association stocked walleyes in 2004.

[JBMasterAngler]

The aeration system has been in the lake for close to 20 years I believe. And yes, I don't believe the DNR has gotten any white crappies in their nets lately. They used to stock walleyes long ago in the lake, didn't do well, I guess they're giving it another go. Hopefully the pike fishing stays strong, those have always been abundant and big in Coon Lake. I believe it's more than just a cycle with the crappies though, because even in down years coon was better than most other lakes.

[united jigsticker]

A Smallie showed up in the last netting report.

[JBMasterAngler]

Apparently lot's of them have been observed in the last 2 years also.

[fisherman-andy]

I like to think of it this way. Every 4-5 yrs to restore a good Crappie fishery. The lake should recover by then & provide at least a few good years before turning the process again.

[fdr01]

coon was one of my fav's, then nothing.the pike shrunk the crappies vanished i had a guy tell me he was catching 12-14" eyes a couple a years ago.plus up until a couple of years ago coon had produced the mn. state record white crappie.so no doubt there is something different with the lake.i've heard there is a big increase in boat traffic.fdr

[bucketmouth64]

I've noticed a big change over the years at Coon. Bass catching numbers have gone down. Too many local bass tournaments happen on this lake. It gets too much fishing pressure so I go there less often nowadays.

[Zaraspooks]

Ray -

I fish in a small bass club and we fish Coon. At weigh in we usually have 2-3 smallmouth brought in every year. We had one last year go close to 3 pounds. Of course, everything is released after weigh in.

[Moses2531]

I've talked to people who lived there for many years and there even used to be decent walleye fishing out there along with those monster white crappies...

[JBMasterAngler]

Where are the smallies coming from? When you think of bronzeback waters, coon lake does NOT come to mind!

[Ray Esboldt]

I've fished it quite a few times in the last 5 years and have yet to see a smallmouth. 2 to 3 everytime you have a club event? If you're weighing that many everytime you have an event, there must be a fair number of the in there. I bet someone is dumping them in there.

[holepopper]

i caught 1 smally this winter on a tip-up . about 18 inches but have seen 3 of them caught and all seem to be about the same size.

[JBMasterAngler]

I can't imagine there's much (if any) quality spawning habitat for them in there, so I'm thinking the smallmouth fishing will never rival that of the upper mississippi or the boundary waters.

[river rat316]

I heard from an aquantaince that his buddy lives on the lake and was transporting them from the Mississippi..... I hope he stops, I am an avid smallie guy but can't stand when someone plays armchair biology and goes and messes with stuff, he's been doing it for awhile now

[lazermule]

I fished Coon last summer and the traffic was nuts!! Seemed like every PWC in the state was on that lake that day. I used to do well on that lake as I have fished it for over 30+ years. I will limit my time to the non-peak rec boating season as I think the fishing may still hold promise but I don't want to deal with all of the traffic.

[Black_Bay]

Quote:

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I heard from an aquantaince that his buddy lives on the lake and was transporting them from the Mississippi..... I hope he stops, I am an avid smallie guy but can't stand when someone plays armchair biology and goes and messes with stuff, he's been doing it for awhile now

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Hey that's great! Especially since the Mississippi River is infested with zebra mussels. And people wonder how their lake got milfoil, zebra mussels, spiny waterflea...

[fdr01]

plus isnt the transfer of fish from one body to another illegal

[JBMasterAngler]

I know we've all thought about putting a certain species of fish into a certain lake because we thought it'd be a good idea, but yes it is totally illegal. Thinking of doing it and actually doing it are 2 different things. There's probably about a dozen or so lakes in the grand marais area where I thought it'd be a good idea to "stock" with smallmouth bass. But putting smallies in coon lake?!?!?! How could you even think that would work? The ones that have been put in there will survive, but I highly doubt they'll spawn successfully.

[river rat316]

Quote:

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plus isnt the transfer of fish from one body to another illegal

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Yes very illegal, if I find out who it is or ever catch him I will make a call to tip, I heard he put them in there (all large adults, so he can fish for them off his dock (he also loaded his dock area with rubble to hold them in the area, I've never been on the lake, but looked at the report in DNR lakefinder and can't imagine the makeup of the lake would have much spawning area or anything for these fish, also since he put all "large" adults in Im guessing he didn't put many if any males in so unless he keeps doing it these fish will not last in here.

[JBMasterAngler]

Isn't shoreline renovation (wether it's along the shore or in the shallows) illegal without a permit? I'm not sure, but isn't there certain rules on what you can and can't do to your shoreline?

[river rat316]

Yes the guy broke alot of laws and regs in doing this... its something that takes part a million times a summer, people are constantly renovating there shoreline to suit there needs then paying the fines when they get caught should be stiffer penaltys for this

[fdr01]

yeah i know a guy that cut down some tall cane type weeeds and got into alot of trouble i think some people forget that their property ends at the water line and the state loves collecting donations

[JBMasterAngler]

I was told this, I want to know for sure, but technically isn't it legal for a person to boat up to a dock and get off and sit there? I would never do that, but yeah, I just want to know if that's true.

[bassphish2005]

A person 'owns' their dock,,,but not! the water around it

I have had issues with dock owners while bass fishing

.They would give me the 'business' when I pitch baits around "their" docks.In my younger days I just fought though the abuse,now if I see people around I avoid their docks,and fish ones that are vacant