Fishing Derby canceled; snow makes ice unsafe, kills fish

The Get Hooked Fishing Derby at The Lake in Luverne has been canceled due to unsafe ice conditions, according to Luverne Area Chamber Director Jane Lanphere.
“It’s with a heavy heart that the Get Hooked Committee made the difficult decision on Monday to cancel this year’s ice fishing derby,” she said Tuesday morning.
“The committee has been working hard over the past six weeks to try to maintain the integrity of the ice by moving snow, but the snow has got the best of The Lake.”
She said the snow has served as an insulator on top of the ice, making it structurally unsound to support hundreds of people, ice houses and equipment.
“As of this week, they advise that no one be on the ice at The Lake,” Lanphere said Tuesday.
The event had been scheduled for Feb. 18.
 
Fish kill
Another concern that arose over the past week is that fish are dying from to lack of oxygen in the water due to the heavy snow cover.
According to Ryan Doorenbos of the Windom area DNR fisheries, The Lake is among dozens of others across the state of Minnesota to experience winterkill.
“Every time we have a winter with snow like we’ve had this year we have lakes with lower dissolved oxygen,” Doorenbos said.
“We need sunlight to create oxygen via photosynthesis, and the snow creates caps on ice.… It’s like you’re drawing the shades on your windows.”
He said it’s unlikely that people would have caught many fish in February’s fishing derby, because the fish that aren’t already dead would be stressed or in “survival mode” and not likely to pursue bait on a hook.
He also said on Friday that when this happens it’s too late to reverse the fish kill process.
“You can’t quickly throw in an aerator and resolve the problem,” Doorenbos said.
“Winterkill is a natural process that’s been occurring long before any humans have been anywhere near these bodies of water.”
 
Restocking
He said at this point, efforts will focus on restocking this summer in both The Lake and in Schoneman Pond south of Luverne.
This involves trapping and transferring roughly 50 pounds of pre-spawned bluegills, the only species allowed.
That’s because Rock County is home to the endangered Topeka shiner, and fish like perch and bass are predators for the protected minnow.
Lanphere said committee members are working with the DNR to support the fish population and they’re focusing on next year’s event.
“The committee has full confidence that next year the Get Hooked Derby will be bigger and better than ever,” Lanphere said.
“So, mark your calendars and make plans to attend.”
The event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024.
More than 200 free rods, reels and tackle will be given away to youth among more than $6,000 in cash and prizes to be awarded.
In addition to Lanphere and Chamber assistant Amber Lais, the Get Hooked Committee members are Mike and Traci Davis, Jeremy Wallenberg, Rob Wenzel, Jen Wiebe, Joe Reif and Justin Aning.
The Chamber can be reached at 507.283.4061. More information is at www.LuverneChamber.com.