2022 Lake Habitat Improvement Update

For the last few years, FOFL has been working to improve the habitat in Finger Lake for aquatic animals of all sorts and especially fish. The Association supported the shoreline tree drop project the past two years and this winter will embark on a project to place fish cribs and fish sticks into the lake. The primary purpose of these projects is to improve the survival of juvenile fish to help maintain a sustainable and healthy fish population long term. While Finger Lake is an excellent recreation lake with very good water quality, it lacks the required lake and shoreline structure and cover needed to ensure healthy and sustainable fish populations. Not only will habitat projects like this help maintain good fishing prospects, but the resulting healthy fish populations will also support species like loons, eagles, otters, and other fish-eating animals, something we all enjoy experiencing. In recent years, there has been much more fishing on the lake so helping to maintain healthy fish populations makes a lot of sense.

This past fall, the second group of 10 trees in the tree drop project were dropped on the shoreline of the lake. A total of 20 trees have now been dropped. These trees provide good cover and habitat for fish and other aquatic animals in general and particularly for juvenile fish. All of these trees were dropped right off the shoreline and were spread out around the lake. We have completed the dropping of the 20 trees approved by the Association and will now wait to see how beneficial this becomes. So far, many young fish have been observed living within the trees dropped in the first group – a very good sign! We wish to thank the residents who allowed trees to be dropped on their property. We also wish to thank Matt Abba, Sue Sazama, and Bill Abba for getting this project done. No cost was incurred on this project.

This winter the first group of fish cribs and fish sticks will be dropped offshore in 15 feet of water or less. We are staying in 15 feet or less of water because we know there is no oxygen in deeper water during the summer. As with the tree drop project, the purpose of these structures is to provide food, shelter, and habitat for juvenile and adult fish. The DNR has very specific and strict rules for building and placing structures of this sort in the lake, and we are following these rules exactly. A team of lake residents was formed to do the planning, procuring of material, building, and placing the structures. The team includes Sue Sazama, Chad Schuh, Lon Behm, Ken Valeria, and Bill Abba. Many other residents have volunteered to help, and we plan to use as many people as possible on the project. The team decided we would build two fish cribs and three fish sticks in this first group, and we are using this first group to learn how to do a project of this sort.

The team has made a lot of progress so far. We worked with the DNR to obtain the necessary permits, learn all of the rules, and studied the best practices for building and placing these structures. The needed materials have been procured and the pre-work steps of staging the materials and preparing them for construction is underway. We are targeting the end of February/early March timeframe for building the units on the ice and sinking them, but that timing is weather dependent. Photographs will be put on the Facebook page and website so everyone can see the work that went into the project – you won’t see the structures later because they will all be deep underwater.

The DNR continues to be very helpful with these projects and seems to have a very high level of confidence in our FOFL team because of the many projects we have worked on in the past. They issued a three year permit for FOFL to build and place up to 20 total structures in Finger Lake. The team submitted other potential future locations if we decide to build more than this initial 5 structures. We have decided we will NOT announce the locations for any of the structures we place – the purpose of these cribs and sticks to help sustain healthy fish populations, not make it easier to fish them out!

FOFL paid for the $303 permit fee for this project and the costs for all of the materials is being paid for by the five team members. If any other resident would be willing to help offset some of the costs, they can send a donation to: FOFL P.O. Box 572, Eagle River WI. 54521. Any excess funds collected this year will be saved and used next winter for use on the next group of structures we build.

The Association wishes to thank all who have or will help on this project. We are getting an incredible amount of work done on Finger Lake and it would not be possible without the donations and people power of our members and residents. If you have any questions, please contact me.