Water Quality in Trout Streams in District 4
Edward R. Braun, Fisheries Biologist
Introduction
Fish Management District 4 in northeast Indiana has two lakes annually stocked with rainbow trout, Cedar Lake in Whitley County and Clare Lake in Huntington County. Catchable rainbow trout are stocked in March, soon after ice out. Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles are periodically run at trout lakes to insure that water quality remains suitable for long term survival of the stocked trout. In 2002 these profiles were done the last week of August prior to sunrise. Trout water is defined as water temperature 70 degrees F containing five parts per million (ppm) dissolved oxygen.
Results
Clare Lake is a 42 acre former stone quarry on the north side of Huntington. It has very little shallow water. Depths of 30-50 feet are within three feet of the shoreline around much of the lake. A public access site is located on the west side off Broadway Street. The temperature and dissolved oxygen profile was conducted on 29 August 2002. At a depth of 14 feet, water temperature was 72 degrees F but dissolved oxygen was 3.51 ppm (Table 1). Water temperatures at shallower depths were above 70 degrees F. Dissolved oxygen was less than one ppm from 16 feet to the bottom. This is the second year in a row that Clare Lake has failed to meet the criteria for trout water.
Cedar Lake is a 144 acre natural lake in northern Whitley County. Access is through a channel from Round Lake where a public access site is located on the west side off Fish Hatchery Road. The profiles were conducted on 28 August 2002. At a depth of 18 feet temperature was 70.5 degrees F and dissolved oxygen was 17.9 ppm. At 24 feet, temperature was down to 56 degrees F with 4.62 ppm dissolved oxygen. About six feet of trout water existed in Cedar Lake, about four feet less than in 2001 (Table 2).
A third lake was checked for water quality. Shriner Lake is a 120 acre natural lake located just south of Cedar Lake in Whitley County. It was stocked with trout annually from the 1950's until 1997. Stocking was discontinued because of lack of public access. A public access site may be established so this lake was included to determine current conditions. The profiles were conducted on September 42002. The deepest part of Shriner Lake is at the west end but is a very small area that could not be located easily that morning. The profile was done at a depth of 68 feet rather than 72 feet. At a depth of 18 feet the water temperature was 73.3 degrees F with dissolved oxygen of 10.27 ppm. At 20 feet the temperature was down to 65.8 degrees F with 8.41 ppm dissolved oxygen. A second profile was conducted in the eastern basin at a depth of 72 feet. Results were similar to the west basin. Shriner Lake had about a four foot layer of trout water in 2002. There was no trout layer in 2001.
Recommendations
- Clare Lake again had no trout water and the stocking of trout there should be discontinued.
- Cedar Lake continues to have excellent water quality. A 6-7 foot layer of trout water was present on August 28, 2002, a year of above average summer temperatures. Cedar Lake should continue to be stocked with trout.
- Shriner Lake water quality was much better in 2002 than in 2001. If public access is obtained on Shriner Lake, water quality should be checked again to see if a layer of "trout water" remains.
Table 1
|
Lake |
Date | Time | Lake Cedar |
Date | Time |
Lake |
Date | Time | Lake Shriner E |
Date | Time | |
| 8/29/02 | 5:24 AM | 8/28/02 | 5:27 AM | 9/4/02 | 5:34 AM | 9/4/02 | 5:58 AM | |||||
|
Depth |
Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O | Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O. | Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O. | Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O. |
| Surface |
|
78.6 |
9.81 |
|
78.8 |
7.61 |
|
77.2 |
7.09 |
|
77.3 |
7.38 |
| 2 |
|
78.6 |
9.7 |
|
78.9 |
7.26 |
|
77.2 |
7.41 |
|
77.3 |
7.12 |
| 4 |
|
78.7 |
9.58 |
|
78.9 |
7.3 |
|
77.3 |
7.33 |
|
77.4 |
7.09 |
| 6 |
|
78.6 |
9.47 |
|
78.9 |
7.29 |
|
77.3 |
7.31 |
|
77.4 |
7.05 |
| 8 |
|
78.7 |
9.42 |
|
78.9 |
7.2 |
|
77.3 |
7.28 |
|
77.4 |
7.01 |
| 10 |
|
78.3 |
9.19 |
|
78.7 |
7.28 |
|
77.3 |
7.25 |
|
77.4 |
7.02 |
| 12 |
|
75.5 |
6.8 |
|
78.2 |
7.31 |
|
77.2 |
7.24 |
|
77.4 |
7.02 |
| 14 |
|
72.1 |
3.51 |
|
77.5 |
6.91 |
|
77.2 |
7.22 |
|
77.4 |
6.99 |
| 16 |
|
65.8 |
0.71 |
|
75.1 |
11.88 |
|
77.2 |
7.24 |
|
77.3 |
7.05 |
| 18 |
|
64.8 |
0.36 |
|
70.5 |
17.9 |
|
73.3 |
10.27 |
|
73.1 |
10.24 |
| 20 |
|
55.2 |
0 |
|
64.9 |
13.25 |
|
65.8 |
8.41 |
|
68.0 |
9.64 |
| 22 |
|
50.0 |
0 |
|
60.7 |
7.5 |
|
61.4 |
5.46 |
|
61.8 |
5.38 |
| 24 |
|
47.0 |
0 |
|
56.0 |
4.62 |
|
58.0 |
2.21 |
|
57.1 |
2.45 |
| 26 |
|
45.3 |
0 |
|
54.0 |
2.85 |
|
53.1 |
0 |
|
52.3 |
0 |
| 28 |
|
44.2 |
0 |
|
52.2 |
1.69 |
|
51.4 |
0 |
|
50.4 |
0 |
| 30 |
|
43.5 |
0 |
|
50.1 |
2.32 |
|
49.9 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 32 |
|
43.1 |
0 |
|
48.6 |
0.86 |
|
48.5 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 34 |
|
42.8 |
0 |
|
47.0 |
0 |
|
47.1 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 36 |
|
42.7 |
0 |
|
45.6 |
0 |
|
45.9 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 38 |
|
42.6 |
0 |
|
44.8 |
0 |
|
45.0 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 40 |
|
42.5 |
0 |
|
44.2 |
0 |
|
44.9 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 42 |
|
42.4 |
0 |
|
43.8 |
0 |
|
44.7 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 44 |
|
42.4 |
0 |
|
43.4 |
0 |
|
44.7 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 46 |
|
42.4 |
0 |
|
43.0 |
0 |
|
44.6 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 48 |
|
42.3 |
0 |
|
42.6 |
0 |
|
44.5 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 50 |
|
42.2 |
0 |
|
42.2 |
0 |
|
44.4 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 52 |
|
42.3 |
0 |
|
41.8 |
0 |
|
44.4 |
0 |
|
0 | |
| 54 |
|
41.6 |
0 |
|
44.4 |
0 |
|
0 | ||||
| 56 |
|
41.5 |
0 |
|
44.3 |
0 |
|
0 | ||||
| 58 |
|
41.5 |
0 |
|
44.3 |
0 |
|
0 | ||||
| 60 |
|
41.4 |
0 |
|
0 | |||||||
| 62 |
|
41.4 |
0 |
|
0 | |||||||
| 64 |
|
41.3 |
0 |
|
0 | |||||||
| 66 |
|
41.2 |
0 |
|
0 | |||||||
| 68 |
|
41.2 |
0 |
|
0 | |||||||
| 70 |
|
41.2 |
0 |
|
0 | |||||||
| 72 |
|
41.2 |
0 |
|
Table 2. Temperature and dissolved oxygen profiles of Fish Management District 4 trout lakes, 2001.
| Lake Clare |
Date | Time | Lake Cedar |
Date | Time | Lake Shriner W |
Date | Time | Lake Shriner E |
Date | Time | |
| 08/28/01 | 5:48 am | 08/29/01 | 5:42 am | 08/30/01 | 5:41 am | 08/30/01 | 6:05 am | |||||
| Depth | Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O | Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O. | Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O. | Temp (C) | Temp (F) | D.O. |
| Surface | 25.2 | 77.4 | 10.2 | 24.5 | 76.1 | 8.8 | 24.8 | 76.7 | 9 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 |
| 2 | 25.2 | 77.4 | 10.2 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.8 | 25 | 77.0 | 9 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 |
| 4 | 25.2 | 77.4 | 10.2 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 | 25 | 77.0 | 9 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 |
| 6 | 25.2 | 77.4 | 10.1 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 | 25 | 77.0 | 8.9 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 |
| 8 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 10.6 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 | 25.1 | 77.2 | 8.9 | 24.8 | 76.7 | 8.7 |
| 10 | 24.4 | 76.0 | 8.8 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 | 25 | 77.0 | 8.9 | 24.8 | 76.7 | 8.7 |
| 12 | 23.9 | 75.1 | 6.6 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 | 24.8 | 76.7 | 8.8 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 |
| 14 | 22.9 | 73.3 | 4.7 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.7 | 24.7 | 76.5 | 8.6 |
| 16 | 21.1 | 70.0 | 2.3 | 24.5 | 76.1 | 8.8 | 24.3 | 75.8 | 8.4 | 24.6 | 76.3 | 8.3 |
| 18 | 19.6 | 67.3 | 0.8 | 23.7 | 74.7 | 9.4 | 23.7 | 74.7 | 8 | 23 | 73.4 | 7.1 |
| 20 | 17.3 | 63.2 | 0.6 | 20.7 | 69.3 | 10.5 | 21 | 69.8 | 4.5 | 20 | 68.0 | 3.6 |
| 22 | 14.5 | 58.1 | 0.5 | 17.2 | 63.0 | 7.5 | 16.6 | 61.9 | 1 | 17.1 | 62.8 | 1.5 |
| 24 | 11.4 | 52.6 | 0.5 | 14.9 | 58.9 | 7.2 | 13.9 | 57.1 | 1 | 14.7 | 58.5 | 1 |
| 26 | 9.7 | 49.5 | 0.5 | 12.6 | 54.7 | 5.4 | 11.9 | 53.5 | 0.9 | 12.5 | 54.5 | 0.9 |
| 28 | 8.1 | 46.6 | 0.5 | 11.8 | 53.3 | 5.2 | 10.5 | 50.9 | 0.8 | 10.5 | 50.9 | 0.9 |
| 30 | 7.3 | 45.2 | 0.4 | 10.7 | 51.3 | 4.3 | 9.4 | 49.0 | 0.7 | 9 | 48.2 | 0.9 |
| 32 | 6.8 | 44.3 | 0.4 | 9.6 | 49.3 | 2.6 | 7.7 | 45.9 | 0.6 | 8.7 | 47.7 | 0.6 |
| 34 | 6.5 | 43.7 | 0.4 | 8.6 | 47.5 | 1.2 | 7.6 | 45.7 | 0.5 | 7.8 | 46.1 | 0.5 |
| 36 | 6.3 | 43.4 | 0.4 | 7.8 | 46.1 | 0.9 | 7.4 | 45.4 | 0.5 | 7.6 | 45.7 | 0.5 |
| 38 | 6.2 | 43.2 | 0.4 | 7.3 | 45.2 | 0.8 | 7.1 | 44.8 | 0.5 | 7.3 | 45.2 | 0.5 |
| 40 | 6.2 | 43.2 | 0.3 | 7.1 | 44.8 | 0.7 | 7 | 44.6 | 0.5 | 7.2 | 45.0 | 0.5 |
| 42 | 6.1 | 43.0 | 0.3 | 6.7 | 44.1 | 0.7 | 7 | 44.6 | 0.5 | 7.1 | 44.8 | 0.4 |
| 44 | 6 | 42.8 | 0.3 | 6.5 | 43.7 | 0.7 | 7 | 44.6 | 0.5 | 7 | 44.6 | 0.4 |
| 46 | 6 | 42.8 | 0.3 | 6.3 | 43.4 | 0.6 | 6.9 | 44.5 | 0.5 | 6.9 | 44.5 | 0.4 |
| 48 | 5.9 | 42.7 | 0.3 | 6.1 | 43.0 | 0.6 | 6.9 | 44.5 | 0.4 | 6.8 | 44.3 | 0.4 |
| 50 | 5.9 | 42.7 | 0.3 | 6 | 42.8 | 0.6 | 6.9 | 44.5 | 0.4 | 6.7 | 44.1 | 0.4 |
| 52 | 5.9 | 42.7 | 0.3 | 5.7 | 42.3 | 0.6 | 6.8 | 44.3 | 0.4 | 6.6 | 43.9 | 0.4 |
| 54 | 5.6 | 42.1 | 0.5 | 6.8 | 44.3 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 43.7 | 0.4 | |||
| 56 | 5.5 | 41.9 | 0.5 | 6.8 | 44.3 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 43.7 | 0.4 | |||
| 58 | 5.4 | 41.8 | 0.5 | 6.8 | 44.3 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 43.7 | 0.4 | |||
| 60 | 5.3 | 41.6 | 0.5 | 6.8 | 44.3 | 0.4 | 6.5 | 43.7 | 0.4 | |||
| 62 | 5.2 | 41.4 | 0.5 | 6.5 | 43.7 | 0.4 | ||||||
| 64 | 5.2 | 41.4 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 43.6 | 0.3 | ||||||
| 66 | 5.2 | 41.4 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 43.6 | 0.3 | ||||||
| 68 | 5.2 | 41.4 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 43.6 | 0.3 | ||||||
| 70 | 5.2 | 41.4 | 0.5 | |||||||||
| 72 | 5.2 | 41.4 | 0.4 | Secchi | 17-1 | Secchi | 19-2 |
