Lake Management» The Principles of Lake Management | Lake Management http://www.lakemanagement.org Information for the best management of your lake! Tue, 17 Feb 2009 14:08:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 The Principles of Lake Management http://www.lakemanagement.org/the-principles-of-lake-management http://www.lakemanagement.org/the-principles-of-lake-management #comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:58:40 +0000 Derrick http://www.lakemanagement.org/the-principles-of-lake-management/ Lake management is a simple concept, but actual water body management can be a very complex task. In the United States, there are an estimated 5+ million private lakes and ponds. And although lakes and ponds are often built for irrigation and livestock watering, recreation is usally the primary reason for building a lake. Unfortunately, most lakes and ponds are poorly managed for sport fishing, even though as much as 25 percent of all fishing takes place in private ponds!

Properly managed lakes provide excellent recreational opportunities, particulary for popular fish species such as largemouth bass, channel catfish, and hybrid bream. A good fishing lake must typically be stocked with the fish species of choice, continually maintained, and then fish removed or harvested at the appropriate rate. Most lake owners do not know the fundamentals of lake management, but that was exactly why this site was created, so keep reading.

The first step in recreational lake management is to decide what kind of recreation is desired. Lakes and ponds can be managed for fishing, swimming, wildlife attraction, and aesthetics, but it is difficult to manage for all of these recreational activities on the same scale. However, all objectives can be achieved to some extent, but the most important can be emphasized. This site promotes lake management for recreational sport fishing.

]]> http://www.lakemanagement.org/the-principles-of-lake-management /feed The Essentials of Lake Management http://www.lakemanagement.org/the-essentials-of-lake-management http://www.lakemanagement.org/the-essentials-of-lake-management #comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:34:12 +0000 Derrick http://www.lakemanagement.org/?p=9 The essentials of pond and lake management

Although no two lakes are alike, every lake or pond can be managed to provide optimal recreational fishing and associated activities. Not only will practicing the fundamentals of lake management increase pond productivity, but also decrease problems associated with aquatic vegetation, fish stunting, and water quality issues. Each and every lake may be different, but the  same management techniques will work on each and every body of water.

The most important part of managing anything, whether it be a farm, a company, or a fish population is having a thorough understanding of the subject and learning how to identify and diagnose problems. Once a  lake manager is aware of lake inputs, potential lake problems (such as low dissolved oxygen), and how to remedy those issues they can truly manage their lake. The essential parts of any lake management program will include:

1. Fish species selection and stocking rates
2. Fertilizing and liming
3. Aquatic weed control
4. Watershed management
5. Prevention of fish overpopulation
6. Removal of unwanted fish species
7. Lake or pond construction
8. Water quality and lake management
9. Lake record keeping

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