Wampus Lake

How big is Wampus Lake?

How deep is Wampus Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Wampus Lake?

Are there boat launches on Wampus Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Wampus Lake?

Wampus Lake is managed for bluegill and black crappie. Catch goals for the two species (from the 2005 lake management plan) are 4.0 and 1.5 fish/trap net set, respectively. Neither goal was met in 2012. No bluegill, and just two black crappie, were taken in 0.75-in-mesh trap nets. A few small bluegill were taken in 0.25-in-mesh trap nets. Most of the bluegill taken in 0.25-in trap nets were one-year-old fish from a naturally-produced 2011 year class. Both black crappie taken in 2012 were two-year-old fish from a naturally-produced 2010 year class. Although the sample size was low, growth rate for those fish appeared to have been average for the area.

It appears that continued stocking of bluegill and black crappie will be required to meet management goals for those species. Stocking of both species was included in the 2005 lake management plan, but it has been hard to find a consistent source of fish for stocking, and enough staff time to harvest and transport those fish. As a result, bluegill stocking scheduled for 2012, and black crappie stocking scheduled for 2007 and 2010 was not done.

Poor bluegill and black crappie catches in this lake over the past 20 years have been attributed to an influx of yellow perch that occurred between 1983 and 1995. In 2012 yellow perch were still abundant in Wampus Lake, despite efforts to control them by stocking male northern pike. From lengths of fish taken in gill nets, 0.75-in trap nets, and 0.25-in trap nets it appeared that four or five year classes contributed to the 2012 yellow perch catch. Few of the yellow perch collected in 2012 would have been large enough to have been of any interest to anglers.

Three northern pike were collected in gill net sets in 2012. Northern pike were last stocked in 2003, and fish from that stocking would have been at least ten years old in 2012. The fish collected in 2012 were aged at four or five years of age, although its possible they could have been older. Although only male northern pike have been stocked in this lake, some reproduction may have occurred, either from incorrectly sexed fish, or movement of a female fish or two into the lake from Flour Lake. In any case, northern pike did not appear to have been abundant in Wampus Lake in 2012, and were not effectively controlling yellow perch abundance.

Although no effort has been made to manage the species in this lake, a few largemouth bass have persisted. One 10-inch largemouth bass was taken in 0.75-in trap nets in 2012, and a few very small (under 1.5 inch) fish were captured in 0.25-in-mesh trap nets.

Are there any state parks near Wampus Lake?