Management of Small Artificial Lakes

Abstract

The material in this paper includes information from several sources. That gathered by Dr. David H. Thompson, Illinois Natural History Survey Zoologist, and the author, from censusing the fish of 22 small artificial lakes in Illinois has beenof great value in determining the kinds of fish suited to this type of habitat. It has also revealed some of the causes for poor fish yields, as well as information on the compatibility of various species. Angling records supplemented by hoopnet samples from several lakes provide a means of measuring the effects of underfishing and overfishing on fish populations. The case histories of many experimental lakes in which various combinations of fishes have been stocked suggest the degree of usefulness of the different combinations in fish management.