SUMMARY 



1. Lincoln Lakes are water-filled excavations made by the Lincoln Sand and Gravel 

 [Company since 1905. This company has developed these water areas In many ways for 

 public recreation. 



2. These lakes now have a water area of about 100 acres, about half of the total 

 vater area of Logan County. 



3. The company. In 1938, turned over a small area of water to the Logan County 

 3portsmen's Club to be used for the Improvement of fishing In Lincoln Lakes. This area 

 las been separated from the other lakes by a levee and Is called Sportsmen's Lake. 



4. After unsuccessful attempts to remove the fish of Sportsmen's Lake with nets, 

 Lt was poisoned on May 20, 1938. A few large buffalo, bullheads and bass survived this 

 rirst poisoning, and It was repolsoned on June 14; twice the original dosage was used. 



5. A complete fish census was made which Included at least 29 species. A total 

 )f 7,008 fish weighed 1,256 pounds, the per acre equivalent of 1,899 fish weighing 340 

 rounds. About 19 per cent of the total, or 239.4 pounds, were hook-and-llne fish of 

 Legal or edible sizes. 



6. The white crapples of Lincoln Lakes, although numerous, are small; age de- 

 :ermlnatlons showed that they have grown very slowly. 



7. A comparison of standard and total lengths on 146 largemouth bass showed that 

 :he body of the fish grows In length more rapidly than the tall. 



8. The growth histories of these bass were read from their scales and their 

 Lengths calculated for each year of life. All bass four years of age and older were 



3f legal length. Eight out of 10 three -year-olds were of legal length, as well as 5 of 

 17 two-year-olds, 



9. Evidence was found that dominant broods of bass occur at Intervals of three or 

 four years. It appears that bass between one and seven years of age die at the rate of 

 ibout 25 per cent per year, while older bass die at the rate of about 50 per cent per 



/■ear-. 



10. Sexual maturity In bass was found to be related more closely to size than to 

 ige. Both males and females become sexually mature when they reach total lengths of 

 LO to lOi Inches, regardless of age. 



11. About one-half of all the bass under five years of age had, on May 20, 1938, 

 lew annual rings on their scales. None of the older fish had 1938 rings. There Is a 

 tendency for the large fish of an age group to form annual rings before the smaller 

 fish of the same age. 



12. A method was devised for measuring condition, or plumpness, by use of total 

 Length In Inches and weight In pounds. 



13. Transparencies, temperatures and chemical characteristics of the water for 

 L938 were determined. 



14. Indigenous, coarse aquatic plants Increased after the fish were poisoned and 

 bhe water had cleared. Other kinds were planted with some success. 



15. Sportsmen's Lake was restocked with largemouth bass* and bluegllls. 



16. Suggestions for the improvement and management of Sportsmen's Lake and 

 Lincoln Lakes during the next few years were outlined. 



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