Mayhew Lake

How big is Mayhew Lake?

How deep is Mayhew Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Mayhew Lake?

Are there boat launches on Mayhew Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Mayhew Lake?

Management goals for lake trout in Mayhew Lake were met in the 2009 assessment. The gill net catch was at the upper end of the normal range for a lake of this type. Although half the catch consisted of age-1 fish from a 2009 yearling stocking, several fish larger than 20 inches were also present. There had been some reproduction, with most of the larger fish produced naturally. Growth among younger lake trout had been a little slower than average for this area.

Brown trout abundance was low, but fish that were present were large. Brown trout from the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008 yearling stockings should have been present in 2009; however, only fish from the 2005 stocking were taken in this assessment. Growth of those five-year-old fish was apparently fast.

Northern pike were found in this lake for the first time since it was reclaimed in 1969. Northern pike were found in Little Mayhew Lake in 1997, and it was only a matter of time before they appeared in Mayhew Lake. Mayhew Lake provides little spawning habitat for northern pike, and the species may not thrive.

Bluegill were found in this lake for the first time ever in 2009. Bluegill have been present in Loon Lake for decades, but it seems unlikely that they could have moved upstream from there to Mayhew Lake, when smallmouth bass (stronger swimmers) have not. Mayhew Lake is a deep, coldwater lake and bluegill numbers and size will likely remain low.

Yellow perch and white sucker gill net catches were not unusually high for this lake historically. Yellow perch were generally too small to have provided much angling opportunity, but they probably did provide forage for lake trout to the extent that their habitats overlapped. At least one of the lake trout taken had been feeding on yellow perch.