How high will she go?

[Guest]

Its raining hard agian, maybe its time to start building the Arc.

[JohnF52]

1119 if it doesn't rain more.

[Notropis]

_{The lake could use a good high water year. Beaver spawns a lot of fish during high water and if the level stays up during the summer, the flooded shoreline cover helps the fry and fingerlings survive. The high level of nutrients that are swept into the lake during high water years help create excellent levels of zooplankton which fry of all species need to grow into fingerlings. Threadfin shad levels also increase due to high levels of zooplankton (which is their primary forage).}

_{The flip side is that fishing can be tougher than normal years. The abundance of cover scatters the fish and the increased forage levels reduces the effort needed by game fish species to find forage. High water years are good for future fishing because of the large year classes of fingerlings they produce but can make fishing more difficult at the present time.}

_{The timing of the high water years is also very important to the lake. Several high water years in a row can create too much competition between year classes, slowing down individual fish growth rates. The best scenario is a high water year every three to four years which creates strong year classes but spaces them out, time wise, reducing competition and keeping growth rates and condition factors of the fish at a good level.}

[J-Doc]

_{Threadfin shad levels also increase due to high levels of zooplankton (which is their primary forage).}

Got plenty. Don't need more. Mild winter didn't kill off the gross population we have already. I bet this spring many will see clouds of threadfin. Not just small schools. I'm talking 30-50ft large schools at least.

_{The timing of the high water years is also very important to the lake. Several high water years in a row can create too much competition between year classes, slowing down individual fish growth rates. The best scenario is a high water year every three to four years which creates strong year classes but spaces them out, time wise, reducing competition and keeping growth rates and condition factors of the fish at a good level.}

Totally agree. Last few years have been high water years except for last year (I think, going on memory here). So it has not spaced out every 3-4 as you suggest.

Reducing the length limit on spots has seemed to help. Might be totally un-related but every spot I've caught has been 14-15" class so maybe the 10-12" from a few years back have matured to 14-15" now and that's the reasoning, not the length limit reduction? Don't know for sure.

[Guest]

This is a good graphic way to compare multiple years.

Just check mark the boxes for previous years.

http://beaver.uslakes.info/Level.asp

[J-Doc]

Yep, other than last year (14) it's been what I would consider "hi water years" for the last 4yrs at least. If I recall correctly, 2007 was a hi water year also. So that's 5 years in the last 7 and this year is still unfolding.

As for prediction, I don't think it will get much more than 4-5ft above pool unless we get some torrential rainfall. It was supposed to be a super wet winter with very cold weather. So I guess the seed trick failed. Fairly mild winter. So......we could get that wet weather this spring and it go over top pool level.

Since river systems below us are heavily backed up currently, my official guess is 1129.5 as the crest.

[Feathers and Fins]

[Notropis]

Good graph regarding lake levels provided by Fins & Feathers. I have it in my favorites on computer.

"Yep, other than last year (14) it's been what I would consider "hi water years" for the last 4yrs at least. If I recall correctly, 2007 was a hi water year also. So that's 5 years in the last 7 and this year is still unfolding."

I see your point J-Doc. the last few years have had high water levels but most of them didn't stay up for long. The most beneficial years are when the level stays up thru most of the summer (like 2011, see graph). High water in the Spring will usually produce good spawns but if the water level doesn't stay up thru the summer, most of the submerged terrestrial vegetation (flooded brush and grasses) is left high and dry. Fingerlings are left with little cover to hide and forage in resulting in a lot of the spawn being recycled back into the food chain (eaten by intermediate and adult fish). Some fingerling species are more adept at hiding in the rocks (spotted bass, smallmouth, walleye) and these fish are not as severely affected by the lack of submerged terrestrial cover, while others that depend on it (largemouth, other sunfish) are heavily affected. This is why the best year classes of largemouth bass come from years like 2011.

Sorry about the long winded reply, I enjoy these kinds of discussions and am happy to contribute to them!

[Guest]

1119.6ft right now & the rivers are boiling swift.

There will be water in the bushes by noon today.

[Feathers and Fins]

I think the gauge is broken because I just got back from looking at it and its easily up a foot from yesterday. LOTS OF DEBRIS FLOATING. People better use EXTREME CAUTION.