Fishing

Recent electrofishing surveys have shown improvements in the fishery. The dredging project greatly improved habitat for the various fish species that inhabit the lake. The relatively recent increase in hydrilla growth has been a problem at Echo Lake. DGIF stocked 120 triploid grass carp in hopes that these fish would help to control the hydrilla growth. Late spring to early summer 2018 appeared as if the grass carp had some level of control on the hydrilla only to find the hydrilla growth making a late season push to cover approximately 75% of the lake. Hydrilla coverage has been rather dense during 2019 as well. Echo Lake is a high flow through system that is impacted by drainage from the surrounding watershed during large storm events. Excessive nutrients from the surrounding watershed fuel the hydrilla growth which really does not need much help within this shallow water impoundment.

Echo Lake has a fishery primarily composed of largemouth bass and a variety of sunfish species. The previous catch and release regulation did not result in a surplus of largemouth bass. The most recent electrofishing surveys of 2019 revealed the presence of numerous year classes of bass, but no distinct strong year classes present. DGIF staff stocked Echo Lake with F1 Tiger Bass during the spring of 2018. This supplemental stocking of bass fingerlings should provide a boost to the fishery. Three survey days were used to assess the bass population. The first and third weeks resulted in the collection of 25 bass each day for catch rates of 60 fish/hr and 50 fish/hr. The second week was the most productive with 43 bass collected for a catch rate of 113 fish/hr. Collected bass ranged in size from 4 to 18-inch range. The largest bass measured in at 18.98 inches with a weight of 3.84 pounds. A high proportion of the collected bass were in the 12 to 16-inch range. 

The full community collection on May 7, 2019 revealed the presence of 401 bluegill for a catch rate of 798 fish/hr. Bluegill length distribution ranged from 1.5 to 7 inches with a large proportion of fish in the 2 to 3-inch range. Some of the larger-sized bluegill will typically be found near the spillway as you walk across the bridge. The survey found the majority of larger sunfish tucked in the back of the upper end of the lake as it appeared they were stacked up on spawning beds. Stocked redear sunfish have shown some positive signs of survival and growth. Although not as abundant as the bluegill, the redear sunfish population has a greater size distribution with some fish reaching close to 8 inches in total length. A total of 68 redear sunfish were collected for a catch rate of 135 fish/hr. Channel catfish are typically stocked each fall during the early part of October. Stocked catfish are usually around ½ pound in weight. The minimum size limit of 18 inches will hopefully allow the stocked fish to mature to a more favorable size before being harvested. The survey only provided 2 channel catfish. These fish measured 16.97 and 22.56 inches with corresponding weights of 1.83 and 4.89 pounds. One of the highlights to the surveys was the collection of a trophy brown bullhead that measured 15.19 inches and weighed 2.33 pounds.  

Biologist Reports

• 2017 Echo Lake Popular Report
• Echo Lake Report 2016