McColl Pond

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McColl Pond is a 21-acre lake located in Savage, Minnesota and has a maximum depth of 11 feet. The lake has been protected from storm water runoff and has a restored aquatic and prairie buffer growing along the east side of the lake. Homes are present on the north and west sides of the lake. McColl Pond has been managed in the Fishing in the Neighborhood (FiN) program since 2002 and has been stocked with adult Bluegill, Largemouth Bass, and fingerling Channel Catfish historically. In recent years, Channel Catfish management has shifted to stocking adults into McColl Pond. An aeration system is available to aerate the lake during winters when oxygen levels are low. McColl Pond was last surveyed in 2010. Water clarity at the time of the 2016 survey was 4.50 feet.

Two gillnets and nine trap nets were used in the 2016 Standard Lake Survey.

Black Crappie abundance in gillnets was above the second quartile for Lake Class 40 at 9 fish per lift. This was a substantial increase from 0.50 Black Crappie per lift sampled in the 2010 survey. Black Crappie had been stocked into McColl Pond in May 2012 (30 individuals, 9.01 pounds, 3.33 fish per pound). Black Crappie were above median weight for Lake Class 40 at 0.17 pounds per individual in the 2016 survey and had a mean length of 6.54 inches. Three individual Black Crappie measured greater than 8.50 inches with the largest fish measuring 11.22 inches. In trap nets, Black Crappie abundance was above average for Lake Class 40 at 5.89 fish per lift, but average weight per individual was below the first quartile at 0.13 pounds. Black Crappie per trap net lift was up from 2.56 in the 2010 survey but average weight per individual was the same value (0.13 pounds). Black Crappie sampled in trap nets had a mean length of 6.24 inches with 41.5% of the individuals in the 5.50-5.99 inch range. Four individuals measured over 8.50 inches and the largest Black Crappie measured 11.18 inches. In the 2010 survey, only one Black Crappie sampled was greater than 8 inches.

Bluegill abundance in gillnets was 9.5 fish per lift with an average weight of 0.12 pounds. In trap nets, Bluegill were sampled in numbers well above the mean for Lake Class 40, at 30.33 fish per lift, but below the first quartile in weight for this lake class at 0.09 pounds. Bluegill abundance had increased compared to the 2010 survey values (2 per lift in gillnets; 4.11 per lift in trap nets) but showed decreases in average weight down from 0.20 pounds in gillnets and 0.14 pounds in trap nets. Average length of Bluegill sampled in gillnets was 5.72 inches with 68% of fish sampled in the 5.50 to 5.99 inch range. Bluegill sampled in trap nets averaged 5.24 inches in length. The largest Bluegill sampled in the survey was captured by trap net and measured 6.5 inches.

Although electrofishing is the ideal way to sample Largemouth Bass, they were still sampled in both gill nets and trap nets. Three Largemouth Bass were sampled in gillnets (1.5 fish per lift) and averaged 0.94 pounds in weight, a value above the third quartile for Lake Class 40. Two Largemouth Bass (0.22 per lift) were sampled in trap nets a value below average for Lake Class 40, but averaged 2.05 pounds in weight, a value above the third quartile for lake class. Across all gears, Largemouth Bass ranged from 8.35-18.31 inches in length. Four of five Largemouth Bass measured over 11.5 inches.

Five Channel Catfish were sampled in gillnets and two were sampled in trap nets. Channel Catfish had an average weight of 2.17 pounds and mean length of 18.79 inches in gillnets. Channel Catfish ranged in length from 16.54-20.08 inches in McColl Pond (gillnets and trap nets combined).

In the 2010 survey, a total of 1146 hybrid sunfish were sampled (111 in gillnets; 1035 in trap nets). Values were 55.50 per lift in gillnets and 115 per lift in trap nets in McColl Pond. The 2016 survey showed a significant decrease in abundance, as only 40 hybrid sunfish were sampled at a value of 4.44 fish per lift in trap nets only. No hybrid sunfish were sampled in gillnets in the 2016 survey. This could be attributed to a partial winter kill in the winter of 2013-2014.

Walleye fry were stocked into McColl Pond in the spring of 2014 but none were captured in the 2016 survey. This single stocking event was made to take advantage of post-winterkill conditions-a low-risk/low-cost attempt to grow Walleye fingerlings to stock area lakes while providing potential short-term Walleye fishing for McColl.

Other species sampled included Northern Pike (1 individual, 22.13 inches in length). Pumpkinseed, and Golden Shiner.

Eurasian watermilfoil was documented in the lake in 2009 and was the dominant plant species in the lake. Sixty-four painted turtles and ten snapping turtles were captured- all in trap nets.

For more information about McColl Pond and other FiN lakes in your area, please visit http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fishing/fin/index.html.

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