Fishing Carney Lake

Carney Lake offers a mixed predator fishery dominated by northern pike that are abundant but mostly undersized, with only 5% reaching the 24-inch minimum. The pike population averages 21.4 inches and grows 3.4 inches below state average due to limited large forage and shallow summer habitat. Walleyes provide better angling opportunity at 2.2 adults per acre with 97.6% legal size, though growth slows dramatically in older fish as they compete for limited forage resources. Young walleyes grow well above average while older fish drop 2-4 inches below state average. The lake's forage base centers on abundant small yellow perch (averaging 4.5 inches), golden shiners, and bluntnose minnows, but lacks the large-bodied prey needed to support good growth of big predators. White suckers were manually removed in the late 1980s and now average 19.8 inches, too large for existing pike to eat. Rock bass provide the best panfish opportunity with above average growth (+0.4) and 57% over acceptable size. The lake features excellent water clarity with 15-foot Secchi depth and good dissolved oxygen to 15 feet, though the hypolimnion becomes essentially anoxic. A 28-crib oak log reef constructed in 1993 provides structure in 8-15 feet of water and attracts multiple species. The bottom consists primarily of sand and organic material with gravel and rock near shore, and aquatic vegetation includes treated Eurasian watermilfoil patches. Seventy percent of walleyes come from natural reproduction rather than stocking, indicating decent spawning success despite the challenging forage situation for adult fish.