The Decline of Devils Lake

[Jiffy]

Was there alway this many bass in DL ? I realize that all fish will eat perch eggs in the ribbon but It wasn't until after the perch decline that I realized there were so many white Bass in there.

I ty an ty to git vwite bash but Dey keep cumin bak

 

[bravo]

The bass have been there since 1971. They were thick even when the perch boomed. In the early 2000’s you could almost walk across the northerns mauvis coulee, still plenty of perch. I don’t think it’s predation.

I think the biggest joke about perch fishing nowadays is there are probably dozens of smaller lakes within an hour of DL with bigger and easier to find perch, but everyone just drives past them.

You’d think so, but the DL guides take their clients from the big lake to all the way south of Carrington if Devils is slow.

 

[gonefshn]

Before the big flood of water in the lake it should have been way worse, but if the farmland up north is saline ground you might be onto something.

I helped a friend who did his masters thesis on that. It was pre 1997 flood when the lake was smaller. Salinity was a big factor back then and there was very little, if any, natural reproduction of eyes.

 

[Davey Crockett]

I helped a friend who did his masters thesis on that. It was pre 1997 flood when the lake was smaller. Salinity was a big factor back then and there was very little, if any, natural reproduction of eyes.

Except Walleyes need running water for natural spawn. Or at least for a highly productive spawn.

 

[Jiffy]

There are TON of lakes with nice perch in them.

Most of the ones I’m thinking of aren’t even “lakes”

 

[Tikka280ai]

Before the big flood of water in the lake it should have been way worse, but if the farmland up north is saline ground you might be onto something.

I know there is large pockets of salty farm land in the rocklake, egeland, cando path where alot of water runs into DL. That combined with the east pumping station running well into late fall after the west one is shut down makes me open to that idea.

Of course it would be neat to see water tests done at multiple points across the lake and maybe even repeated for a couple years

 

[Davey Crockett]

There are TON of lakes with nice perch in them.

Most of the ones I’m thinking of aren’t even “lakes”

Do the best ones have mostly perch or a variety of fish like DL ? Perch should be easy , all they need is brush or grass to attach the ribbons of eggs and a pond that won't winterkill. And food of course but I've always been puzzled why DL declined so fast.

 

[lunkerslayer]

The real issue is there is less actual shoreline for perch to spawn in and perch as far as I know do not travel to into the feeder lakes like pike and walleye do. Also all those dead woodlands are no longer there each year less and less ideal spawning area is being destroyed from wind and ice sheets Devils lake as a whole is not designed as a great perch lake anymore, the corp decided that 20 year ago when they placed all that rip rap on the shorelines.

 

[Jiffy]

Do the best ones have mostly perch or a variety of fish like DL ? Perch should be easy , all they need is brush or grass to attach the ribbons of eggs and a pond that won't winterkill. And food of course but I've always been puzzled why DL declined so fast.

Most are sloughs and most have perch and pike. ALOT of them winter kill but the G&F keeps trying. I’ll give them that. It’s no secret, well some are kinda, but just look at the stocking reports. I guess I haven’t for a few years now, but you’d be surprised.

 

[Davey Crockett]

The real issue is there is less actual shoreline for perch to spawn in and perch as far as I know do not travel to into the feeder lakes like pike and walleye do. Also all those dead woodlands are no longer there each year less and less ideal spawning area is being destroyed from wind and ice sheets Devils lake as a whole is not designed as a great perch lake anymore, the corp decided that 20 year ago when they placed all that rip rap on the shorelines.

I thought when the water rose way up the lake gained a lot more shallow perch spawning area with flooded grass and trees .

 

[Davey Crockett]

They don't need much , just a little something for the ribbon to attach to .

 

[Walleye202]

The real issue is there is less actual shoreline for perch to spawn in and perch as far as I know do not travel to into the feeder lakes like pike and walleye do. Also all those dead woodlands are no longer there each year less and less ideal spawning area is being destroyed from wind and ice sheets Devils lake as a whole is not designed as a great perch lake anymore, the corp decided that 20 year ago when they placed all that rip rap on the shorelines.

Not sure I buy into this, The lake was at a greatly reduced elevation for 20+ years leading up to the early 1990's and the perch fishery was very strong. Totally different world technology wise to today. If we look at history, the same sand shorelines exist that existed in the early 1980's just 25ft difference in water.

 

[zoops]

I guess I can't comment on ice fishing. Never did have much luck on DL in the winter months back when I lived a lot closer. Pike, sure. But the walleyes and perch were ghosts.

The past three summers we've had an annual Graham's Island camping/fishing trip in July. Sometimes it takes a bit of looking, but never had a problem bringing home plenty of fish for the frying pan and freezer.

But I guess your post was more regarding ice fishing perch. I remember watching the Perch Patrol commercials back in the 90s. You could take a train from the Twin Cities right to DL! Seemed neat to a young kid who woke up extra early Saturdays to catch the outdoor shows on the local channels.

I think the biggest joke about perch fishing nowadays is there are probably dozens of smaller lakes within an hour of DL with bigger and easier to find perch, but everyone just drives past them.

I've heard plenty of complaints about the DL guides hitting the sloughs plenty too. Heard of one this winter about an hour from DL that had 20 snobears on it some days.

From the original post, I can't imagine how many perch you'd have to stock to make a difference in DL. I don't think they even produce perch in the hatchery right now, the sloughs they stock (usually just a couple thousand for brood stock) are fish that are just transferred from some of the overpopulated sloughs.

 

[riverview]

yea if i was you guys' id find another lake to fish,

 

[johnr]

yea if i was you guys' id find another lake to fish,

Zero eyes in Sakakawea, stay east I tell ya.

 

[shorthairsrus]

Perch Way overrated imo

Put some largemouths in please

White bass - get rid of

Stripers - -the only one that had balls to stock a boat ramp is named after him

Eyes -- 7 million stocked into sak --- East side of DL needs them stocked - more than what they are doing

Pumps shut em off

Summer Guides - dont fish DL proper anyway - they go up north

ND residents going out twice -- nah i was in a campground --- you when out and came back and drank

Sotas and Scons -- yes they were part of the mix -- but they fished June hard you hardly seen em in July and August (the very end of June and july big bite they were gone)

Toyotas -- with MN plates -- they were an issue --- the ladies would stand at the cleaning station and they would run down cooler after cooler. Somebody called the Gwarden he never came. They can take all the white bass -but they like walleyes too

With the winter weather lately how many are fishing i would like to know.

 

[Rut2much]

Zero eyes in Sakakawea, stay east I tell ya

As in east of the red..

 

[Rut2much]

Perch Way overrated imo

Put some largemouths in please

White bass - get rid of

Stripers - -the only one that had balls to stock a boat ramp is named after him

Eyes -- 7 million stocked into sak --- East side of DL needs them stocked - more than what they are doing

Pumps shut em off

Summer Guides - dont fish DL proper anyway - they go up north

ND residents going out twice -- nah i was in a campground --- you when out and came back and drank

Sotas and Scons -- yes they were part of the mix -- but they fished June hard you hardly seen em in July and August (the very end of June and july big bite they were gone)

Toyotas -- with MN plates -- they were an issue --- the ladies would stand at the cleaning station and they would run down cooler after cooler. Somebody called the Gwarden he never came. They can take all the white bass -but they like walleyes too

With the winter weather lately how many are fishing i would like to know.

Damn right they like walleyes... Just be happy theyre too cheap to haul boats and/or pay for gas for them, can just imagine the ABSOLUTE SHITSHOW at the ramps realism is not racism damnit!

 

[Eatsleeptrap]

Game and Fish response to stocking perch. Walleye population is doing well and they will just eat the stocked perch anyway. If l can find the email l will post it, but it's over a month old so it's probably gone.

 

[Davey Crockett]

Game and Fish response to stocking perch. Walleye population is doing well and they will just eat the stocked perch anyway. If l can find the email l will post it, but it's over a month old so it's probably gone.

You might be able to search NDGF in both sent and received emails . At least that's the way my email is.