Indian Lake Little Ferry Report 5/19/19

[steve392]

DPW was using a backhoe and digging up the weeds/reeds or whatever they are along the banks yesterday. Hopefully its a start to keeping it clear.

[steve392]

DPW has done an amazing job so far with removing all this plant life. Hoping there is more work to be done in terms of adding fish or some kind of waterlife safe herbicide to the lake to combat this stuff long term.

[oelgnal1]

Be careful what you wish for, and I think that a "safe Herbicide" may be an oxymoron, at least from what I've seen over the years. Eco systems can be complex, and a band aid approach may be all you get for such a small body of water. Back in the 70's, I worked a few minutes away and would sometimes go at lunchtime for a few casts, usually during trout season. As I recall it's connected to the river and killies were in there. Keep in mind that when the weeds die, they will decay, and the herbicides don't always discriminate between the good and bad weeds even when you are told they do. I hope that you are right with your optimism because it was once pretty good years ago for the area.

[BergenBassin]

Originally Posted by oelgnal1

Be careful what you wish for, and I think that a "safe Herbicide" may be an oxymoron, at least from what I've seen over the years. Eco systems can be complex, and a band aid approach may be all you get for such a small body of water. Back in the 70's, I worked a few minutes away and would sometimes go at lunchtime for a few casts, usually during trout season. As I recall it's connected to the river and killies were in there. Keep in mind that when the weeds die, they will decay, and the herbicides don't always discriminate between the good and bad weeds even when you are told they do. I hope that you are right with your optimism because it was once pretty good years ago for the area.

After the fish kill those pipes that connected it to the hackensack river were closed off by the ground dirt or plants. At least on the side of the pond where the H mart is. After fishing it again for a year I haven't seen any river fish like eels or white perch and even carp. So far the pond seems to be only filled with stocked trout in the spring, bass and catfish and sunnies. We used to catch crazy stuff in there back in the day. Used to be big pet kois were dumped in there.

[steve392]

The lake was disconnected from the river a long time ago. People called me crazy when i said the lake was basically a tidal lake lol. It rose a little and dropped a little with the tides. It had blue claw crabs in it and whatever else lived in the river. Was great fishing.

The DPW hasn't done any more to the lake since i last updated. Still plenty of large area's of those reeds or whatever the hell they're called. Woulda been pretty cool if they lowered that lake.

[BergenBassin]

Originally Posted by steve392

The lake was disconnected from the river a long time ago. People called me crazy when i said the lake was basically a tidal lake lol. It rose a little and dropped a little with the tides. It had blue claw crabs in it and whatever else lived in the river. Was great fishing.

The DPW hasn't done any more to the lake since i last updated. Still plenty of large area's of those reeds or whatever the hell they're called. Woulda been pretty cool if they lowered that lake.

Stopped by the lake again this weekend and made a couple of casts, no bites but I walked around and enjoyed the nice weather, it seems that the little ferry DPW just left all the ripped reeds in the water after they removed them in some spots, and there's some tire marks from the backhoe or other equipment they used along the walking trail with some dirt holes. DPW needs to come back and clean up their mess haha. Also bunch of green algae where the grass used to be next to the dock, besides that the lake looks good, water is nice and clear and I saw some sunnies near the dock.

Hopefully it's a good season! Can't wait for opening day of trout!

[steve392]

Originally Posted by BergenBassin

Stopped by the lake again this weekend and made a couple of casts, no bites but I walked around and enjoyed the nice weather, it seems that the little ferry DPW just left all the ripped reeds in the water after they removed them in some spots, and there's some tire marks from the backhoe or other equipment they used along the walking trail with some dirt holes. DPW needs to come back and clean up their mess haha. Also bunch of green algae where the grass used to be next to the dock, besides that the lake looks good, water is nice and clear and I saw some sunnies near the dock.

Hopefully it's a good season! Can't wait for opening day of trout!

There was lots of debris floating when they were doing the work. The geese and ducks were having a field day with it. The algae around the dock is just downright ridiculous.

[BergenBassin]

Originally Posted by steve392

DPW was using a backhoe and digging up the weeds/reeds or whatever they are along the banks yesterday. Hopefully its a start to keeping it clear.

I spoke to the regional biologist about what they were and apparently they're those meadowland weeds. I forgot the exact name but it begins with a P. Also asked him about the possibility of the DPW stocking grass carp to control the hydrilla but apparently the carp wouldn't be good for the pond because they would only eat the plants and the algea blooms would be really bad. I think they're probably gonna use aquatic herbicides or something along those lines. What they really need to do is just rip all those weeds put by the roots or draw down the pond in the winter so it dies off naturally from the cold.

[steve392]

Originally Posted by BergenBassin

I spoke to the regional biologist about what they were and apparently they're those meadowland weeds. I forgot the exact name but it begins with a P. Also asked him about the possibility of the DPW stocking grass carp to control the hydrilla but apparently the carp wouldn't be good for the pond because they would only eat the plants and the algea blooms would be really bad. I think they're probably gonna use aquatic herbicides or something along those lines. What they really need to do is just rip all those weeds put by the roots or draw down the pond in the winter so it dies off naturally from the cold.

Are grass carp what are in the hackensack river? Those carp never caused an issue with algae blooming more.

[oelgnal1]

No, as to the carp in the river. The grass carp are supposed to be sterile so that they can't reproduce, but it's not 100% and they will eat anything green as the food source dwindles. I've seen them eat grass clippings off the surface of a pond, grass from the banks, debris that falls from trees into a lake in the Spring. They don't distinguish between oxygen producing weeds, indigenous and other types. I saw a 100 acre lake go from a great bass fishery to one I don't fish any more in 15 years, in fact my avatar is from there with a 5lb. SM. With no cover for the fry and with the influx of cormorants, it's not surprising the lake has really gone down hill.



Some grass carp pictures, 1st May 2014 on a Rapala: 2nd late Dec. 2015; 3rd in the Spring of 2011, these are the only ones that I have pics of. Besides catching them on different lures they were accidently snagged either early or late in the season.