Bulrushes killed by Milfoil

 Family property since 1924 on private lake. I have been there the last 50. In the last 3 years we have a lot of strange weeds and all the bulrushes are gone. Used to be able to get bass in  vast  beds of them. Now all the fishings gone to nothing no bass cant even get a northern. It sucks because there are only 8 landowners and most of us dont go anywhere else with boats, but some of them rent out and people bring jet skis and  other things. Has any one out there have that happen on your lake.

I have been fishing a lake in Canada for 20 years. All the great weed beds are down to 10-20% of the size they were 20 years ago. Flyin lake.  What is going on???

Thanks for the input and messages. We are getting closer to the point where we know who to contact.  I just found the AIS coordinator number.I hope he will help with a private lake. I know back in the day  the campground owner kept a launch open for the public so the DNR would stock the lake from time to time, but now they wont because that is gone. No one really takes their boats to other lakes, most of us have our own launch or just have small boats that you put in by hand. There are no input streams however there is an outlet stream that flows into a creek that empties into a 1000 acre lake with public access. From recent fishing reports on that lake it sounds like the panfish population is way down there. If there is something goofy going on I hope that the fact that our water runs into public lakes would good grounds for helping figure this out since it would affect Big Sand,Upper Holly,Whitefish ,Lac Courte Oreilles, and down

seems your best bet would be to contact the DNR for identification and possible treatments... to put out weed killer, you would have to apply for a license from the DNR according to what I read

Sorry to hear the changes to your private lake. 

Agree with Migr8r, alot of contamination occurs from birds jumping around from lake to lake. Is there drainage into the lake from another water source? 

 Not sure how a jet ski trailer can be any different than a standard boat trailer. Im sure the lake residents are launching boats that may have been to other waters around there primary residence. 

IMO, 80 acre lake just doesnt sound appealing for Jet Skiing fun. 

There are seven species of milfoil native to wisconsin.  The invasive one is eurasian milfoil.  Hard for even trained technicians to tell them all apart with just the naked eye. So dont panic just yet dont assume its invasive.  All lakes change and not always to our liking

Those cloudy globs in your water.  I am no expert for sure but I have always assumed they were dragon fly eggs. They come and go. 

sucks losing the bull rushes.... always a sign of a healthy lake, at least that's what I was taught

I saw a show about a lake in MN where there is a service that pulls them out by hand, but didn't find it...yet

but you might be able to do some of that with others on the lake, maybe not perfect, but minimize the damage done... would be nice getting bull rushes back  

I'm sure you looked here, but in case you haven't, from the DNR

https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/invasives/fact/eurasianwatermilfoil.html

Just found out from one of the shoreowners. He said he has seen one of the other shoreowners  throwing aquacide pellets out of a five gallon bucket several times. Looks like we also have a major fish kill. we and he have not seen any bass beds and only  a couple bluegill beds and no one can catch any fish. This idiot bought out a campground and then subdivided it  into ten other lots and one of them rents to people who bring their own boats and jet skis.

We werent really sure what was going on until the last two years we think there are also some other kinds of funky weeds that we never saw before. Some are big jelly globs, some look like big clouds of fluff and cover large areas and some milfoil. Now it would be a matter of money to do something. There used to be only two places on the lake now there are 9 . Im guessing our next step would be to get an assessment from Weeders Digest and get a grant or call the DNR first to see what steps would have to be taken. Just wondered if any one has had to go through that process that could  give me some info on what they know. The lake is only 80 acres so maybe it wouldnt be too much.Ihave no idea what something like that would cost.

They should check all trailers!    That’s how the weed spreads the fastest. CARPIO 

I have been off the lake for a year due to a physical condition. Do the landing Nazis now give the same level of inspection to jet skis that they previously gave to my bass boat? Looks like that may be an opportunity for improvement....

Why didn't you do anything about it when you first saw it?

It was carp, and excessive siltation from urban runoff,  that took out most of the bulrushes on  Wingra back in the 60s.  Wish they would build some exclosures and get them started again.

Pretty sure bulrushes prefer sandier bottom, and shallower than milfoil grows.  Milfoil does not grow on sandy bottom exposed to direct ice contact in the winter in my experience here in Madison.

But I feel your pain.  Lake Tomahawk is in the process of getting overrun by milfoil as well.  It probably won’t ever be the lake it once was ever again...

Birds are a big spreader of weeds and fish eggs to other lakes. Not saying it isn’t from people but a lot more birds move from lake to lake than people. 

In all probability the milfoil was lntroduced by the jet ski trailers.    It’s in your lake to stay unfortunately.   CARPIO