Can you overfish a small lake?

[jcass]

I fish a couple of small lakes in the area. One is less than 75 acres and the other may be 150. I can usually limit out (25) decent crappie. But I am wondering just how many crappie can be taken from a small lake before it starts to become overfished. Anybody have experience with this? Is there a general rule about 'fish per acre'? THe fish are healthy and fat, so they must have plenty of food. Mostly in the 8 to 12 inch range. I keep about 150 - 200 per year. SW Michigan.

[jpdawg]

At that rate you will not fish out a lake. That is only 2-3 fish per acre.

[bdorman]

I'm on a 100-acre lake in northern Illinois. Ten crappie fisherman probably take about 200 crappie (total) out of the lake every week and have been doing it for years. No one keeps anything under 10".

Our lake management rules are catch-and-release all gamefish (bass and northern pike) but you can keep all the crappie, bluegill and perch you catch, no size or creel limit. I suspect they are so prolific that you couldn't catch enough to make a dent in the population.

[Splitshot82]

At that rate you will not fish out a lake. That is only 2-3 fish per acre.

As long as no one else fishes the lake.

[jcass]

I did a terrible job of asking my question. I know that others fish the lakes and probably take out over a thousand or several thousand fish a year - including winter ice fishing. That is what I really meant the question to reflect. THanks for the replys.

[Lowellhturner]

Fish populations depend on many factors basically; size of the body of water, location geographically, depth, PH rating, amounts of various cover, types of fish, and of course fishing pressure to name afew. Generally speaking, most sunfish family members (except bass) and perciods and crappies have a "high" to "very high' rate of recruitment. As soon as a mature fish is removed, there are several to take it`s place. A MORE SERIOUS concern is the over fishing of the bass and cats, ect which "mow down' and consume those much more numberous panfish which eat bass fry and fingerlings. If too many mature bass/ 2cnd tier predatores are removed, any body of water will eventually develope a lopsided ratio where there are only a very few bass/ 2cnd tier predatores and a GAZILLION stunted over populated panfish. Have seen this happen, mostly in ponds...

[tear-em-up]

I don't think your gonna hurt em . Have people been fishing there for years doing that ? if so and its still good then you should be ok. We have a bunch of old millponds here that are 25 -100 acres that we crappie fish in . Weve actually been finding alot of small crappie in the big crappie so there working on there self too.

[wilbur]

You need to invite some of your buddies to fish with you, My Buddy

[NIMROD]

I would say don't worry unless catch rates start dropping. Crappie tend to over populate small waters.

[Tank 1]

Tough call. As posted above there are many factors involved. But I do know that there are a couple of blugill lakes that use to produce some really nice fish but word got out, and now your lucky to catch a 7 incher. Are these lakes just going though a cycle? I don't know.

My freind and I had this exact discussion on the water today. I told him that I didn't want to keep pounding these 12, 13 & 14 inchers and he was telling me we weren't going to hurt the population. I know I can't eat that many fish.