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IDNR Report
Technology helps DNR gather information
Users of Big Lake (Noble County), Bryant Creek Lake (Monroe County), and Prairie Pond (Pike County) can share their opinions on their experience with DNR via a new online survey. The survey is for all users of these lakes, not just anglers.
The survey takes less than one minute to complete. It asks questions about a user’s day at the lake and their satisfaction regarding access, cleanliness, and fishing opportunities.
Signs displaying a QR code have been placed near the access sites at each lake. Users access the survey by opening the camera app on their mobile phone and holding it over the QR code for a few seconds until the survey notification pops up. When it does, they can tap on the notification to open the survey.
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IDNR Report
The DNR recently stocked selected urban fishing locations with more than 2,000 channel catfish ranging from 10 to 14 inches with an average of 12 inches. Fish were stocked here, with county listed in parentheses.
- Diamond Valley Park Pond (Evansville, Vanderburgh) – 225 fish
- Dobbs Park Pond (Terre Haute, Vigo) – 200 fish
- Dubarry Park Ponds (Indianapolis, Marion) – 200 fish
- Garvin Park Lake (Evansville, Vanderburgh) – 200 fish
- Krannert Lake (Indianapolis, Marion) – 225 fish
- Meadowlark Park Pond (Carmel, Hamilton) – 100 fish
- Munger Park Pond (Lafayette, Tippecanoe) – 150 fish
- Northeast Lakeside Pond (Fort Wayne, Allen) – 300 fish
- Robinson Park Lake (Hobart, Lake) – 300 fish
- Washington Township Park Pond # 2 (Avon, Hendricks) – 100 fish
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IDNR Report
Anglers can share their opinions on Indiana DNR’s fisheries management using a survey that will be emailed the week of April 11.
The DNR will email the survey to everyone who has a current email address within its electronic licensing system. Anglers can ensure their email on file is correct, update their address, or enter a new one at IN.gov/access.
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By Louie Stout
The once-famed redear sunfish population at Lake George appears to be diminishing, but the bass and pike population seem to be doing fine.
That’s the assessment of Indiana District Fisheries Biologist Matt Horsley who was there for a quick look at the fish population last June.
Lake George is in northeast Indiana and straddles the Indiana Michigan border. The public access is in Michigan, therefore Michigan regulations must be followed by boating anglers who use that access.
The survey included a look at the redear population which was so good two decades ago that Michigan used it to collect brood stock for stockings in other lakes.
Horsley said his crew collected considerably fewer redears than they did when they surveyed the lake in 2001.
“We didn’t see many large ones, either,” he said. “In 2001, 21 percent of the fish we captured were 10 inches or longer and several were up to 12 inches. This time, our biggest was only 9 inches.
“It could have been a timing thing due to when we were there, so we may have missed the bigger fish.”
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IDNR Report
Several Indiana counties will receive funds to improve their waterways thanks to $1,506,640 in grants awarded by DNR Director Daniel W. Bortner through the Lake and River Enhancement (LARE) program.
DNR grants totaling $908,700 will be used in sediment or logjam removal projects and will support 13 projects in 15 counties. The other $597,940 will be used to fight aquatic invasive plants, including 37 projects involving 57 bodies of water in 11 counties.
LARE grants are funded through the LARE fee paid by boat owners annually when they register their boats with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. This user-funded program benefits boaters all over the state. The grants allow for the completion of projects that would be difficult for local organizations to fund on their own. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and local sponsors share at least 20% of the cost.
Funded projects include grants for both planning and removal of sediment. Removal projects help improve recreation and remove excessive nutrients near inlets. Projects to dredge lake inlets or boating access channels receive the highest priority for LARE funding.