MDC TO STOP STOCKING HENRY SEVER LAKE

Wayne Humphrey exchanged some emails with Mike Anderson, Muskellunge Program Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation and the information below is from this exchange.

From Mike Anderson to Roger Reetz and Wayne Humphrey:

“I am writing you today to discuss discontinuing Henry Sever Lake from MDC’s muskellunge program.  From 2000 through 2008, only 17 anglers have completed Daily Trip Record Forms as part of the Show-Me Muskie Project.  The conservation agent and other local staff have not observed anyone fishing for muskies at Henry Sever Lake in the last three years.  We have tried to popularize the muskie fishery at Henry Sever through your organization and with numerous media contacts, but have observed no increase in muskie fishing pressure.  Fisheries Management Biologist, Travis Moore sent letters to Muskies Inc. chapters in the neighboring states of Illinois and Iowa hoping to promote the fishery.  Again we observed no increase in muskie fishing pressure.

Those in MDC involved with the muskie program believe that Henry Sever Lake should be dropped from the muskie program due to low angler participation.  Over the years, the Pomme de Terre Chapter of Muskies Inc. has been a strong supporter of the program, and with that said, I would like to give you the opportunity to voice any concerns you may have.”

At Roger’s request, Wayne Humphrey responded in part:

Because there is no place to stay (motel) around the lake, that will limit the number of muskie fishermen.  Unfortunately, most muskie fishermen in Missouri are of an age that they do not want to sleep in a vehicle or pitch a tent during a weekend outing.  While there is a nice campground, few want to camp.

I am not sure that Sever has been given a fair shot as a fishery.  By the time initial stockings were getting to a size to be interesting, there was high water and the word was that muskie populations were low due to them going over the spillway.  I believe this was confirmed by nettings in the spring.  It took a couple (or more) years to get a spillway barrier put in place and there have been regular stockings now for several years and fish should be getting up to an interesting size.  While nettings are not as encouraging as those in Pomme or Hazel Creek (based on numbers), I don’t know how representative they are.  This lake seems to stay cooler than the other muskie lakes.  Are samples being taken at the proper time of the year and are the nets in optimal places to get a representative sample?  Would more positive reports result in more fishermen?  Will it take a few more years to get more positive reports?

Does Sever need to be stocked every year?  Could it be stocked every other year and still be a viable fishery?  Maybe it would not be the quality of Pomme but still provide a good experience. 

St. Louis anglers have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a muskie lake.

Sever is about 150 miles from my house (west St Louis County) to the dock.

Kinkaid (IL) is 100 miles and is a fishery with higher stocking rates and 50 inch fish.

Shelbyville (IL) is about 132 miles and offers both lake and spillway fishing, and 50 inch fish.

Hazel Creek and Pomme are both about 210 miles from me and offer a more promising fishing experience if I am looking for a weekend fishing trip.

What does it cost to stock Sever?  Just the cost of a truck trip up there once a year?  Is the hatchery considered a fixed expense when it comes to raising muskies or is it highly variable? 

Given all of this, I don’t think Sever will ever draw a lot of people because of the distance from St Louis and the fact that Kinkaid and Shelbyville are closer and provide the potential for a better fishing experience.

Mike Anderson’s response:

Thank you again for your insights regarding Henry Sever Lake.  You are right, Henry Sever Lake does provide a unique fishing experience and quite frankly, it is one of my favorite lakes in Northeast Missouri.  As you know, Henry Sever Lake is located off the ‘beaten path in southeast Knox County.  Visiting anglers who want to spend more than one day fishing must utilize the camping facilities on the area, or travel approximately one hour to Kirksville or Hannibal to stay in a hotel.   Some of us believe that Henry Sever Lake does not get the use that it once did because the Department has done such a good job with our Community Assistance Program, providing close to home fishing opportunities.  With high gasoline prices, many people are forced to fish a nearby pond or lake rather than explore distant lakes in the state.

Henry Sever Lake was first stocked with muskie in 1996 and up until 2001, a quality fishery was developing.  It is true that a huge rainfall event in the spring of 2001 caused the lake to overflow.  Several muskie skeletons were found both below the emergency and principal spillways, and undoubtedly, some probably survived in the South Fabius River.   Our catch rates definitely declined from 2002-2004 with less than 1 muskie being caught per net.  A subsequent muskie stocking in 2002 had good survival with Fisheries Management Biologist Travis Moore capturing 5.7 muskies per net in 2006.  Catch rates have averaged 2.6 muskies per net since 2006 including 2008 and 2009 when high water levels and poor lake and weather conditions hampered muskie sampling.  Nationwide,  a capture rate of 1 muskie per net is considered a viable fishery, so I believe Henry Sever Lake has recovered from the loss of fish over the spillway,  Unfortunately, we have not observed an increase in muskie anglers at Henry Sever Lake since that time.  I’m not sure if Henry Sever Lake has cooler water temperatures than similarly sized lakes in north Missouri.  We set nets for muskies during last week of March and the first week of April, but the latter is usually ‘prime time’ in north Missouri.  Early on, we tried numerous net locations, and I believe the sites that Travis has selected are optimal locations for catching muskies on this 158 acre lake.

According to our muskie plan, muskies are to be stocked at a rate of 1 fish per acre at the four lakes less than 1,000 acres.  This stocking rate is generally considered the national average, and if at all possible, we do not want to deviate from our current 10-year plan.  Stocking the lake less often still does not help the fact that muskie anglers are not utilizing the lake. 

I asked Lost Valley Hatchery Manager Rich Cook about the cost of stocking muskies in Henry Sever Lake.  He did not have the 2009 figures, but he was able to tell me the cost of stocking the lake in 2008.  The cost to raise an individual muskie was $10.94, so the total price tag for the muskies stocked at Henry Sever Lake that year was $1,728.52 (not including $70.00 in fuel costs). 

Our Fisheries Division Management Team has decided to forego further muskie stocking at Henry Sever Lake.  This decision was based on Show-Me Muskie Project results, local staff observations, my recommendations based on discussions with MDC’s muskie committee, and your response on behalf of the Pomme de Terre Chapter of Muskies Inc.  It was a very tough decision for all those involved, but in light of low angler pressure, I believe it was the right thing to do.  I will discuss dropping Henry Sever Lake from the program in greater detail in my spring Show-Me Muskie Project cooperator newsletter.

In further correspondence Mike pointed out that musky fishing should remain good at Sever for the next 5-10 years as the fish mature.

(Wayne’s note: Don’t forget that a fish stocked at 12 inches takes about 4 years or more to get to a 30-36 inch long length.)

Some additional thoughts from Wayne:

I only mentioned two lakes in Illinois that are accessible to St Louis residents but there are more.  Illinois stocks 36 or more lakes so Illinois residents would have minimal incentive to come to Missouri to muskie fish.

With the high cost of raising muskies, the revenue pinch that the MDC has found itself in with the present economy and the lack of fishermen on the lake, I fully understand why the evaluation took place and why the decision was reached.

This decision points out the importance of anglers participating in the Show-Me Muskie Project and documenting the number of trips, hours fished and the results of those trips.  We have to fill out those reports and send them in when requested.  (The MDC pays the postage.) It does not matter whether you fish dozens of times per year or only a handful, you need to be participating.  I also add on my sheet if I have an angler that doesn’t belong to the program (note them as a guest) and report their results.  Whether the data gets entered or not into the program, it provides a little more information to Mike.  If you are not part of this program contact Mike at 660/785-2420 or Michael.Anderson@mdc.mo.gov to get enrolled.  If you know folks that aren’t a member of the Muskies Inc chapter, make sure they are participating in the program.  It takes very little effort and reinforces the number of muskie fishermen in the state and the amount of recreation the muskie program provides.  The more fishermen, the more benefit to the public, and that helps when a cost-benefit analysis is done on the musky program.

Wayne Humphrey