A Comparison of Pocono Lake Fisheries

1. A Comparison of Pocono Lake Fisheries Presented By: Joseph E. Gallagher Ecological Solutions, Inc.

2. 4 Survey Lakes

3. Lake Blythburne • +/- 60 acre Manmade Impoundment • Average Depth – 1.2 meters • pH – 8.2 std. units • TDS – 100 mg/l • Secchi Depth – 0.9 meters • Plant Coverage – 80%

4. Typical Fish Captured in Lake Blythburne

5. Less Than Desirable Specie

6. Preferred Specie

7. Lake BlythburneFish Community Composition

8. Problems/Recommendations • Too many small bluegill and pumpkinseed sunfish (< 3” on average). • Abundance of larger chain pickerel (> 15” on average). • Reduce vegetative cover to 40 to 50 percent. • Establish “woody” habitat to replace vegetation in shallow areas. • Provide brush as habitat for black crappie.

9. Moosic Lake • 100+ acre Natural Lake • Average Depth – 3 meters • pH – 6.2 std. units • TDS – 30 mg/l • Secchi Depth – 7.0 meters • Plant Coverage – < 10%

10. Typical Fish Captured in Moosic Lake Preferred species: • Largemouth Bass • Walleye • Black Crappie

11. Moosic Lake Fish Community Composition

12. Problems/Recommendations • Lack of suitable habitat. • Lack of prey minimizes abundance and size of predator species (Largemouth Bass) • Provide a diversity of habitat for “preferred” species. • Supplement natural prey base by stocking bait fish several times during the season. • Initiate a management program to control the amount of harvest.

13. Walker Lake • 100+ acre Manmade Impoundment • Average Depth – +/- 2 meters • pH – 7.3 std. units • TDS – 40 mg/l • Secchi Depth – 1.5 meters • Plant Coverage – < 50%

14. Typical Fish SpeciesCaught in Walker Lake

15. Preferred Specie

16. Problems/Recommendations • Low productivity minimizes the potential of the fishery. • Lack of prey in combination with the presence of three major predator species minimizes abundance and size of the “preferred” species (Largemouth Bass) • Reduce the number of predator species and manage for the “preferred” specie only. • Supplement natural prey base by stocking bait fish several times during the season. • Initiate a management program to control the amount of harvest.

17. Walker Lake FishCommunity Structure

18. Caruso Farm Pond • 11+ acre Manmade Impoundment • Average Depth – +/- 1.2 meters • pH – 8.2 std. units • TDS – 70 mg/l • Secchi Depth – 0.7 meters • Plant Coverage – < 30%

19. Typical Fish SpeciesCaught in the Caruso Farm Pond Preferred Species: • Largemouth Bass • Black Crappie

20. Caruso Farm PondFish Community Structure

21. Problems/Recommendations • Reduce the number of predator species and manage for the “preferred” specie only. • Increase the amount of “woody” structure in the pond. • Initiate a management program to provide “quality-sized” fish.

22. Summary of Findings • Natural vs. Manmade did not influence the quality of the fishery. • Shallower lakes (i.e. < 1.5 meters avg. depth) tended to sustain higher “quality” fisheries. • Lake productivity strongly influences the “quality” of the fishery. • The better fisheries have a diversity of habitat throughout 40% to 50% of the lake basin.

23. Successful fishery management programs maximize the potential of that particular body of water….