Trout Lake Fishing guide

The 2025 survey evaluated a period of annual Walleye fry stocking since 2019 (except for 2020 COVID). Though natural reproduction has been well documented, larger year-classes tend to correspond to years with stocking. Eleven age-classes from age 1 to 21 were observed in the survey. Growth rates for the 2023 and 2024 age-classes were notably slower than prior years. Slower growth for these younger ages may be due to strong year-classes resulting in more competition for food or perhaps in response to the introduction of zebra mussels in recent years. However, growth of older fish remained good. Walleye averaged 14.4 inches after three years of growth, which was similar to the three prior surveys. The population should provide decent fishing based on the number and size of Walleye sampled.

The management plan goal for Northern Pike is to maintain a catch of 3.0 fish/net, with 30-60% and 10-20% of the sample longer than 21 and 28 inches. Lower pike numbers are desirable because they tend to have faster growth and better size distributions. Pike catches have varied from 1.0 to 9.3 fish/gill net since 1946. The 2025 catch of 4.4/gill net did not meet the management goal but was near the lake average.

The 2025 sampled pike ranged from 12.8 to 31.7 inches and averaged 22.4 inches. Size distributions did not achieve the management goals; 80% were longer than 21 inches and only 3% were longer than 28 inches. For four consecutive surveys the sample has been dominated by a few younger age-classes. In the last three surveys, all but one female was sexually mature even though they were small and young. Fast growth, early maturation, and essentially no older fish in four consecutive surveys may be an indication of angler over-harvest. Anglers can contribute to better size quality by focusing harvest on pike under 22 inches and releasing larger fish.

Black Crappie are not sampled effectively in many lakes due to their behavior of suspending off the bottom, away from shallow cover, during the summer. The modest population appears to be in response to the lake only having a few shallow, protected bays that are important for recruitment. A total of 28 crappie were sampled for a catch of 1.9 fish/net, which was the highest catch since 2007. Fish ranged from 4.3 to 12.2 inches and averaged 8.7 inches.

Smallmouth Bass populations appear to be expanding in many area lakes. Smallmouth Bass were sampled with spring night electrofishing three times since 2004 and the catches increased during that time. Summer gill nets can also be effective for sampling Smallmouth Bass in some lakes. Smallmouth Bass catches have distinctly increased in the last five surveys (average = 7.5/net) compared to 2004 and before (average = 0.8/net). Fish from age 1 to age 14 were present with age-6 fish the most common. Fish averaged 13.6 inches after five years of growth, which was similar to the prior survey. Smallmouth should provide quality angling opportunities based on the sample.

Tullibee are an important prey species for large predators but can be difficult to sample with standard surveys because of where they are located during the summer. In 1946, the catch was 23.3 fish/net and since that time has never exceeded 3.8 (1989). In the last four surveys, the catch ranged from 0 to 0.4 fish/net. The low catches are poor indicators for the population but that is not the whole story. There are some encouraging signs for the population; the available cool water habitat appears to have increased following the improvements in the city's sewage treatment facility in the late 1980s, and the examination of predator stomachs in the last two surveys suggest Tullibee are more common than the gill net samples reflect.

The Yellow Perch population has experienced major fluctuations over the years. The record high catch of 169.3/net in 1999 coincided with a period of poor Walleye fishing in contrast to the record low catch of 6.1/net in 2018 that coincided with good Walleye fishing. Though the 2025 catch of 9.5/net was an improvement, it remained distinctly below the lake average of 49.5 fish/net. Perch ranged from 4.8 to 9.1 inches and averaged 6.3 inches. Due to the perch size distribution, they are probably more important within the fish community as a prey source than as a species desired by anglers.

Other species observed during the survey included Bluegill, Bowfin, Brown Bullhead, Hybrid Sunfish, Largemouth Bass, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, Rock Bass, White Sucker, and Yellow Bullhead.