FOX CHAIN O'LAKES STATUS REPORT SUMMARY

CHANNEL CATFISH: Fox Chain O’ Lakes (Lake County) - Channel catfish naturally reproduce in the Fox Chain O’ Lakes system and maintain their population without supplemental stocking. The fishery is under utilized and offers the potential for high catch rates and fish to five pounds regularly. The Proportional Stock Density (PSD) for catfish has increased to a high of 78 in 2003 from a low of 7% in 1988. Catfish averaged 18.1 inches in 2003 with several fish over 30 inches and 10 pounds. Several year classes of flathead catfish were collected in 2003. The largest fish was over 17 pounds.

LARGEMOUTH BASS: Fox Chain O’ Lakes - Bass fishing is very popular on the Chain O’ Lakes. There are at least 25 significant tournaments each year with participation ranging from 20 to 90 boats each. Intense fishing pressure on limited quality habitat means fish get targeted often resulting in delayed hooking mortality and constant changes to their population dynamics. Supplemental bass fingerling stockings began in 1989. Since then our Catch per effort (CPE) sample results have increased nearly 100%. The catch rate for largemouth bass has stayed relatively constant for the past 10 years at around 17 fish per hour (all lakes combined). Catch rates vary, lake by lake, depending on the amount of vegetation present and the quality of nearshore habitat.

Population indices show the 2003 sample was balanced with a Proportional Stock Density (PSD) value of 48. The Relative Stock Density for 14 inch fish (RSD-14) dropped to 34 (legal length = 14") and the RSD-15 to 11. A PSD value between 40 and 60 suggests a good mix of mature and immature fish in the population and is considered balanced. These data show that as fish approach 14" long before mortality becomes a factor in their abundance. Mortality is likely related to targeted fishing pressure and delayed hooking mortality.

During the 2003 survey 6 smallmouth bass were collected. The average length smallmouth collected was 13.5 inches (range 8.2" to 16.4"). Smaller fish suggest natural reproduction is occurring. Their sample abundance has remained relatively constant for the past several years suggesting this population is not significantly expanding.

Supplemental largemouth bass stockings should maintain their population at current levels. Stockings are concentrated in backwater lakes and deeper channels where habitat is more appropriate to fingerling survival and away from the larger open lake predators.
In 2003, the Chain O’ Lakes was stocked with 141,140 largemouth bass fingerlings (2" - 6"), slightly above the goal of 139,000 fingerlings. (2003 was the fourth time in 7 years the stocking goal was met or exceeded).

MUSKIE: Fox Chain O' Lakes - Muskie stockings initiated in 1982 have resulted in the development of an outstanding pure muskie fishery. Several year classes of “Leech Lake” (spotted) strain muskie have worked their way into the sport catch and have been collected by IDNR staff. Leech Lake muskie were provided by the Muskie Inc. - South of the Border Chapter as a supplement to the IDNR biennial stockings. The number of muskie collected each spring in sample nets ranged from 24 to 138 muskie and typically equates to a catch rate of 2 - 2.5 fish per net night when targeted. A population estimate of muskie marked and recaptured in Lakes Channel/Catherine yielded a population of between 0.6 to 2.2 fish per acre. These data are difficult to obtain due to the connected, open nature of the Fox Chain system and the statistical likelihood of inter-lake movement. In most lakes the muskie population is likely much lower.

To date the largest muskie collected during spring sampling was 49.5 inch and weighing 31.8 pounds (collected in 2003). Tagged muskie have been reported from all lakes in the Chain, in the Fox River as far south as Yorkville, and north into Wisconsin.

Since 1995 the proportion of fish greater than 36 and 42 inches have been increasing. In 2003 the RSD-36 was 44 and RSD 42 value was 14. These data were the highest population indices recorded since inception of the project. Also in 2003 an RSD-48 of 3 was recorded with 2 fish over 48 inches being collected. These data suggest that the muskie population in the Chain is increasing in size quite nicely. Muskie fishing should continue to improve as the fishery matures in response to the protection afforded by the 48 inch length limit (instituted in 1997).

In 2003 Chain was stocked with 1000 fingerlings (11" long) from the State Hatchery system. These fish were fin clipped (LV) and released into Lake Catherine in September.

Northern pike are native to the Fox Chain system and maintain their population by natural reproduction. Population data are restricted to fish incidentally collected in spring walleye trap nets. Most fish collected are mature individuals from between 28" and 36" in length. Northern pike are a favorite of ice fishermen and are targeted more in the winter than during open water when most esocid fishermen are searching for muskies.

WALLEYE: Fox Chain O’ Lakes - Walleye have been collected in the Chain by IDNR staff since 1954. Fry stockings were initiated in 1978 to supplement natural reproduction help develop the fishery. Since 1984 brood stock from the Fox Chain O’ Lakes have been used by the State Hatchery System for walleye production. The Spring Grove Fisheries Resource Center has been crucial to the success of this program because if it’s proximity to the Chain. Peak spawning catches exceed 21 fish per trapnet night with overall catch rates exceeding 8 fish per trapnet night. In 2003 a record catch of 1708 walleye were collected during the spawning season. This was the fifth time in 18 years the total catch exceeded 1000 fish.

The slot limit imposed on the Chain O’ Lakes in 1996 appears to be doing its job of protecting female walleye while allowing more abundant male walleye to be harvested. The average female was 22.4 inches long and the average male was 14.8 inches, both these average lengths fit nicely into the protective slot limit on the Chain.

Since the Chain is a “brood-lake,” it is important to continue to protect female walleye with the slot limit. The walleye regulation on the Chain O’ Lakes allows the harvest of 2 fish between 14" and 18" and 1 over 24". This regulations protects female walleye of high quality reproductive age yet allows for harvest of trophy fish and abundant smaller male walleye. In 2003, 14 million eggs were taken and 7.9 million fry and 280,789 two inch fingerlings were stocked in the Chain.

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