The Effect of Carp on a Small Lake: the Carp as a Dominant

In Washington county, which is in the third tier of southern counties of Wisconsin, there lies a pretty body of water known as Pike lake. This lake is semi-natural: natural in that it was originally a widening of the Neosha river; artificial in that its waters were raised twelve feet by the placing of a dam across the river some sixty years ago. Originally it was a delightful fishing lake, yielding good catches of large-mouth bass (M4icropterus salmoides), great northern pike (Esox lucius), together with a variety of socalled pan fishes, and an occasional wall-eyed pike (Stizostedion vitreum). From Pike lake the Neosha river wanders through rich loamy farming country, its course interrupted by occasional little falls and rapids where gravel is encountered. Fifteen miles south and east of Pike lake the Neosha river passes through the town of Neosha, and again some fifteen miles south and east it enters the Rock river. Fifty years ago citizens of Neosha decided to construct a mill to grind the community grain, so a dam was erected across the river at a point where Highway 68 now crosses the stream. The dam raised the waters of the river ten feet, and an entirely artificial lake came into existence. This lake encompassed an area about a mile in length and from a quarter to three quarters of a mile in width, its banks being marked by the original much-worn and very irregular valley of the old Neosha river. Fish were already in the stream; more came down from Pike lake; many were planted. Aquatic vegetation became abundant, and there were fine beds of Potamogeton, Ceratophyllum, Vallisneria and Nymphaea, with Saggitaria growing in abundance along the shores. Fishing was excellent. I remember, as a boy, driving out to the lake with horse and buggy, to bring home fine catches of large-mouth bass, great northern pike, and delightful pan fish of various species (Eupomnotis gibbosus, Lepomis incisor, Pomoxis annularis, Perca flavescens, etc). For years it was a first rate fishing lake.