Viking Lake beach closed
The eight-foot drawdown at Viking Lake is complete. The decrease in the water level, no more than six inches per day, began July 5 in order to improve the fish population. Water was released from a gate valve on the dam, and the water was released into the Nodaway River.
Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Biologist, Bryan Hays, said lake drawdowns are a common fish management practice that mimics a drought and crowds the fish population for a period of time. By lowering the water level, the largemouth bass in the lake will have the advantage over smaller bluegills. A reduction in the number of bluegills will improve the growth the following year.
“There is an overabundance of six-and seven-inch bluegills in the lake because they fall short of what anglers are looking for,” said Hays. I’ve been watching the bluegill population struggle for years with no improvement.”
Hays said with the restaurant and concession area closed, it was an ideal time to lower the lake level with the least amount of disruption. With the decreased water level, the beach is closed, as are the boat ramps. Fishing from the shoreline is still possible, as well as hiking on the trails and kayaking. Hays said they plan to open a boat ramp soon to make it usable for the rest of the season. In the fall, they will close the valve gates and start capturing water to refill the lake. The goal is that it will be refilled by the spring.
“It’s important to note this is not a total renovation of the fisheries. We are not eliminating the fish population,” said Hays.
Hays said plans also call for reopening the restaurant and concession stand next year, add fish habitat in the form of spawning beds, correct a few gully erosion areas and fix up some shoreline rip-rapping.
Viking Lake is a 136-acre lake with a maximum depth of 40-feet and average depth of 15-feet. It is a popular swimming, camping and fishing area with bass, bluegill, crappie and catfish. Hays has been a fisheries biologist since 1987. He covers 10-county area managing fish populations. During his career, the biggest change has been the invasion of invasive species such as silver carp, Asian carp, Asian water milfoil and the zebra mussel.
In 2006, Viking Lake was drained and a total fish renovation completed because of an overabundance of yellow bass, which Hays said were undesirable and outcompeting the bass, bluegill and crappie.