Fishing Osterhout Lake

Osterhout Lake offers a unique muskellunge fishery in a 168-acre shallow lake with a maximum depth of 22 feet. The most promising fishing comes from muskies stocked since 1998, with recaptured fish ranging from 11 to 40.5 inches - the largest from the 1998 stocking. However, bluegill fishing remains challenging due to stunted fish with growth rates well below state average, though abundance is high with few fish exceeding 7 inches. Largemouth bass are present in low numbers but younger fish show acceptable growth rates, with some quality bass in the 14-16 inch range. The lake stratifies by summer with good dissolved oxygen down to 13 feet, but the hypolimnion becomes anaerobic throughout the stratification period. Most of the lake consists of shallow flats extending to the 5-foot contour, creating extensive littoral zone habitat dominated by centrarchids that comprise 90% of the fish community. Water clarity is poor at 5.5 feet Secchi depth due to the eutrophic conditions from agricultural runoff. The northwest corner features diverse wetland spawning habitat, while the southwest area has extensive water lily beds providing cover for bluegills and bass. The nearshore areas along the south side have marl bottom that supports aquatic insects and freshwater mussels. The lake has lost some historical species including northern pike, bowfin, and importantly lake chubsuckers which provided soft-rayed forage for predators. Spotted gar have become abundant in recent years though they rarely grow large enough for anglers to target. Yellow perch are present but in low numbers, with the largest reaching 9.3 inches.