Cross Lake

[calvin]

Just wondering if anyone has been out there and if the summer kill that was reported has been significant or what the story is out there. Thanks, Calvin...

[lilsundance]

Haven't been out there yet this year but the summer kill the last 2 summers was significant. Last summer there were dead fish all over the beach and boat launch area. Took the park warden about 4 hours to clean up the beach and launch. We spent a week there and never did find any perch over 4 inches in the areas that we usually get them in. I probably won't go there this winter unless its just for jacks.

[Angler]

Isn't that lake closed now? Zero limits for everything?
Or what I've heard was a BS?
Thanks

[calvin]

Originally Posted by Angler

Isn't that lake closed now? Zero limits for everything?
Or what I've heard was a BS?
Thanks

I had forgotten that, you may be correct. If I found out anything I will post here. I think we will avoid also. I have never had much luck out there at any time though.

[LeonH]

Originally Posted by calvin

Just wondering if anyone has been out there and if the summer kill that was reported has been significant or what the story is out there. Thanks, Calvin...

Do I ever have a story on that one.

Last August I go with friends camping there with trailers, fishing boat and at no point has anyone mentioned that 3 days prior they imposed zero limit on any fish. To be honest I never heard prior of any low oxygen levels during that summer. The immediate area by the boat launch had no signage.

So in the morning we head out fishing, did not see a single dead fish anywhere, fishing was the best I have ever seen it in a bit over an hour we had 20 keepers (15-20lbs of perch in the bag). We go for the shore to pick up some knifes before we head for fish cleaning station, so walking through trails now back towards the lake is when I for very first time spot a sign facing me on the tree that there is zero limit as of 3 days prior. My friend passed the sign and did not even see it but once I waved him back we decide to go to the front office and talk to the staff there being responsible fishermen. In the office we explain on what happened and how disappointed we are that nobody took any initiatives or better effort to made sure people there knew of the change. The girls there call park rangers and they say to bring the fish and leave it there to be picked up.

That afternoon a park-ranger come and issue a warning to my friend for being over a limit (no ticket but a warning) and I also get one from different guy too once I came back from my 10KM hike with my other friend. I was so ****ed that for their incompetence they were still trying to offload the blame on to us. Instead of giving us some credit for coming and advising them of the situation rather than dumping the dead fish back into the lake on the far end of the lake like many people would they end up making us look bad. They guy giving me the warning acknowledged that it was a major fail on booth staff that we were not told once we checked in but he still said I have to issue a warning. Even tough it was only a warning I did not want it being associated with my profile. I made it home and following that trip there was still no alerts on the government websites anywhere of this change.

Some people go to that lake specifically to fish, pulling boats and paying lots of money to do it . I was so close to go to their the Athabasca office and give them my 2 cents.

Now if I do not appreciate our law enforcement I do not know who does. Even my own flesh and blood (my own brother) in a police officer that I made a lot of influence on him becoming one and I do respect and appreciate all they do for us every day. But this just boiled my blood at the time.

However to answer your question, during the time we were out on the lake that morning the water was like boiling in all direction from pike chasing perch at the place where we were fishing. This closure was just a knee-jerk reaction for few dead fish that ended up on the beach as we did not see a single dead fish at any other shore and the lake was still full of healthy looking fish

[Walleyemagnet]

Sounds typical. My brother in law and I were planning to fish there last weekend. It was only by accident that I found out the night before that the lake was shut down. I would assume that there is a large sign posted at the boat launch?

[lilsundance]

Your the only one on the lake that week that found them then, Everyone I talked to had the same story as myself. Lots of dead fish on every shore and nothing for perch biting, other than 4 inchers, and they were few and far between.
I agree their lack of signage informing anglers of the closure was non existent. We did catch some Pike but only 1 was a keeper. This was a day or so before the closure when we first arrived.

[LeonH]

Originally Posted by lilsundance

Your the only one on the lake that week that found them then, Everyone I talked to had the same story as myself. Lots of dead fish on every shore and nothing for perch biting, other than 4 inchers, and they were few and far between.
I agree their lack of signage informing anglers of the closure was non existent. We did catch some Pike but only 1 was a keeper. This was a day or so before the closure when we first arrived.

It was my typical spot that we went to right away and simply parked the boat and started pulling them out. And they were everywhere in that area. The pikes were hunting them very hard too so they seemed fine also. All I personally saw three days after the closure was nothing concerning (that being shorelines, boat launch area, top of the water or fishing itself).
We were on the lake probably less than two hours before we kept 20. Most of them were 10" and bigger and we must have landed 2 times that many that went back (obviously smaller ones).
We were chocked to take them in. I still have a picture somewhere of couple of them that I held just before taking them in.

But my point was if they notified people a bit better all of those fish would have survived as we would not even dropped the boat in the water and be harassing the fish that were stressed out anyways.

[LeonH]

Originally Posted by Walleyemagnet

Sounds typical. My brother in law and I were planning to fish there last weekend. It was only by accident that I found out the night before that the lake was shut down. I would assume that there is a large sign posted at the boat launch?

The only sign in that area was closer to washrooms/beach area than the boat launch. Who specifically walks all of the beach area reading small printouts??? now

I am still ****ed thinking about it

[calvin]

That's a bit of a conundrum at the time. My story of fishing there is a bit different to the effect of if I hadn't have been there I wouldn't believe it. We took our little Lund out and just rowed around near the beach and ventured to the south area beside a little island there. My son had a five of diamonds on and we were just casting and such. Anyhow, he had some weeds on his lure and we were catching quite a few Jack that day, he pulled the weeds off his lure and then just thru it back into the lake behind the boat. I was fishing off the front and I hear a holy/&;@ and a bunch of thumping. The only keeper Jack of the day went after that lure so hard he come out of the water and hit my son in the chest before falling into the bottom of the boat. Needless to say he was surprised, scared the crap out of, and a bunch of other emotions all in a few moments. Funny story to tell and I tell you I have never another such as that one.