Mayhew Lake

How big is Mayhew Lake?

How deep is Mayhew Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Mayhew Lake?

What are the closest cities to Mayhew Lake?

Are there topographical lake maps available Mayhew Lake?

We have an topograpical map for online viewing near the top of this page. Lake-Link Pro users can download an print a topograpical map of Mayhew Lake (.pdf format) along with 2,700 more lake maps. For more information on all the benefits of Lake-Link Pro click here.

Mayhew Lake

Are there boat launches on Mayhew Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Mayhew Lake?

Mayhew Lake is one of only two managed fish lakes in Benton County. The lake is rather small being only 131 acres in size and 20 feet deep. Steep drop-offs and a sunken island are the main fishing structures in the lake. Water quality problems have been a major issue for decades. Several factors including land use practices in the watershed and along the lakeshore have contributed to summer algae blooms and poor water quality. Mayhew Lake lies within an agricultural watershed and also has livestock pastures along its' shore and inlets.
The lake is probably best know for its black crappie fishing although once in a while there will be a good walleye bite. Some perch fishing, winter especially, has been reported in recent years. Walleye and northern pike numbers appear to have decreased in abundance since the last survey in 2002. The walleye catch was below the management goals for the lake but with the lower northern pike numbers, walleye fingerling survival may improve. Walleye fingerlings are stocked in the lake in odd numbered years. The lake also has high yellow perch numbers, which may also help walleye numbers increase. Perch are an important prey species for both walleye and northern pike and abundant perch can minimize predation of stocked walleye by larger northern pike. White sucker are also abundant and are known to be a favorite food of northern pike.
A panfish assessment was conducted in early June of 2008, which caught a large number of black crappie. Most of the crappie were less than 8 inches in length, however, there were some fish measured up to almost 12 inches in length. Although the lake supports a bluegill population, it does not appear to that abundant. Average size of the bluegill caught in the panfish assessment was less than 5 inches in length. There does appear to be some larger bluegill as fish up to 8 inches were netted but anglers will have to work to find them. Natural reproduction success appears to be sporadic, likely the result of poor water quality and lack of vegetation in the lake. The turbid water favors black crappie over bluegill. Mayhew Lake also has some pumpkinseed sunfish and hybrid sunfish, which were caught in the panfish assessment, but their densities appear to be low. One green sunfish was caught in the summer survey.
Common carp are known to relatively abundant in the lake from direct observations and electrofishing. Most of the carp in the 2002 survey were caught in trapnets, which were not used in this survey. Other fish species that were sampled in the summer survey include black bullhead and largemouth bass. The panfish assessment caught a high number of black bullhead as well as some yellow bullhead. Bullhead species abundance can be an indicator of water quality as turbid water is more favorable to black bullheads while yellow bullhead prefer cleaner water.
Benton County has worked to improve the county park on the west side of Mayhew Lake. The park now has not only the boat access but also offers a fishing pier and picnic area with tables and grills. The park is well maintained which encourages shore fishing, but leaving a native shoreline buffer strip would be beneficial to the lake. A TMDL Study (Total Daily Maximum Load) focusing on nutrient impairment is part of the Benton County Comprehensive Local Water Management Plan. The study was scheduled to start in 2008.

What is the average air temp for Mayhew Lake?