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Steve McComas

Steve McComas: Lake drawdowns: some intended, others by surprise

Featured, Minnesota, Nature Page & Night Sky /

Earlier in August, all the water of Lake Alice, a 26-acre lake in William O’Brien State Park (north of Stillwater, Minn.), drained accidentally into the St. Croix River when a valve stuck in the “open” position as high lake levels were being lowered due to recent heavy rains.
Lake Alice is a man-made reservoir (sometimes referred to as an impoundment) with a (former) maximum depth of 9 feet was created by an earthen dike built in 1961. In August, when the bottom valve wouldn’t close, the lake was drained.

Steve McComas: Lake drawdowns: some intended, others by surprise Read More »

Steve McComas: Examining the curious case of disappearing green sunfish from a Minnesota lake

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing /

Starting in the 1920s, gravel mining was active in the city of Maple Grove area in Minnesota. Several gravel pits were produced, and as gravel extraction was winding down, the pits filled with groundwater. Those lakes are now surrounded by residential and commercial development.

One of the gravel pits, called North Arbor Lake, is 16 acres in area and is 40 feet deep. There are no records of Minnesota DNR fish stocking, but the word on the street is that folks may have stocked trout and walleyes in the past. Today, there is plenty of evidence that fish can survive in the lake.

Steve McComas: Examining the curious case of disappearing green sunfish from a Minnesota lake Read More »

Steve McComas: Who’s smarter, fish or anglers? Examples might surprise you

Featured, Featured, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Fishing, Home Page News, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, National Fishing, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin /

It’s an age-old question: Of fish and fishermen, who’s smarter? A recent magazine article stated that salmon have an IQ of 130. 
Darn. That’s smarter than me.  Maybe it’s because salmon are full of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, no references were given, nor were test methods provided. After a little more snooping around, it was determined to be a non-scientific source, and I remain skeptical.

Steve McComas: Who’s smarter, fish or anglers? Examples might surprise you Read More »

Steve McComas: Spring signals nature’s call to reproduce

Featured, Home Page News, Minnesota, Nature Page & Night Sky /

I started my 2025 lake detective investigations (actually, curlyleaf pondweed surveys) shortly after ice-out in Minnesota. This spring, I was again struck by the flurry of activity produced by a wide variety of organisms. The primary culprit of this activity is the mating-season frenzy.
Here are some of the sights and sounds that I observed in April.

Steve McComas: Spring signals nature’s call to reproduce Read More »

What is lake ice made out of? There’s more to it than you may realize

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, Nature Page & Night Sky /

What is lake ice made out of? The easy answer is frozen water, but there’s more to it.
At the beginning of winter, the first ice is primary ice (skim ice). It’s thin, and ice crystals orient horizontally. Next up is secondary ice. These ice crystals form perpendicular (vertically) to primary ice, and the ice grows downward. The third type of ice is super-imposed ice.

What is lake ice made out of? There’s more to it than you may realize Read More »

What’s going on with the aquatic community below the ice in winter? Plenty

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing, Nature Page & Night Sky /

When we’re sitting atop lake ice, the creaking and groaning melody caused by wide swings in air temperatures can be unnerving. On some days when temps go from 20 degrees below (Fahrenheit) zero to 10 degrees above, lake ice will contract and expand, creating a symphony of sound.
It’s winter below the ice as well, and the aquatic community reacts accordingly.

What’s going on with the aquatic community below the ice in winter? Plenty Read More »

Steve McComas: Here’s a celebration fish can appreciate

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, Minnesota, National Fishing /

Ice on a lake doesn’t freeze all at once – it sputters and hesitates and then the edges stiffen. Whole-lake ice formation comes from the slow dance of rearranging water molecules.
Lake ice always follows nature’s rules. It’s a deal the water makes with winter, and the agreement lasts until the big break-up in spring. Currently under the ice, algae have died back and water goes from Murkyville to Cleartown in the underwater city that never sleeps.

Steve McComas: Here’s a celebration fish can appreciate Read More »

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