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| Twin Lake(s) |
2,128 miles
Apr 24 – Is
it one lake or two? Name-givers &
cartographers can’t decide. The lake consists
of two basins, the smaller east basin being relatively shallow, and the larger west
basin having depths up to 75 feet. There
are already multiple twin lakes in Wisconsin and Michigan, including a town named
Twin Lake on the lower mainland of Michigan which seems to include 5
similarly-sized lakes.
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| Teaspoon Creek, by Gina Harman |
The water is
clear to slightly green brown. The
immediate shoreline of this twinned water hole is mostly rolling hills, with
sand, gravel, and clay soils. It’s
surrounded by tag alder, cedar and spruce trees. There is one inlet, a small creek on the west
side, and many springs which contribute water to the lake. The outflow goes into Teaspoon Creek (love
that name!), eventually leading to the Tahquamenon River and Lake Superior.
New word for
me: bathymetry: measuring the underwater depth of a lake or ocean, like the
topography of landforms. The bathymetry
of Twin Lake was mapped in 1953.
The primary
use of these twin lakes seems to be sport fishing. Early fish surveys indicated a population in
Twin Lake consisting of rock bass, bluegill, white suckers, largemouth bass,
northern pike, golden shiners, and other minnows. Bluegill were stocked as
early as 1938. A public access site was
developed in 1967. It includes a parking lot & a boat ramp.
A 1968 survey
indicated that the depth & oxygen profile was suitable to support trout. Fisheries managers decided to provide a
"two story fishery" by managing for trout in the deep western basin,
and for a largemouth bass & panfish fishery in the shallower areas and the
eastern basin. Here’s another new
word! Panfish refers to smaller food
fish, generally pan-fried. Rainbow trout
and brown trout were added, and later surveys showed good growth and survival.
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| brown bullhead |
However, by
1980 rough fish (brown bullhead and white sucker, edible but not generally
wanted for food or sport) and abundant small yellow perch were becoming a
problem, and Fisheries Department personnel “conducted manual removals” of
rough fish. I wonder what that looked
like. Did they net them & throw back
the bycatch of other species unharmed? What
happened to the culled fish? Were they
thrown away, turned into fertilizer, or did they feed the hungry?
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| splake |
Following
these removals, the Fisheries Division began stocking splake annually. Splake are a hybrid fish, the product of
mating between male brook trout and female lake trout. Who knew that such things were going on? Amazing.
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| largemouth bass |
But for some
reason, the largemouth bass that have been stocked in this lake have not been
growing normally. They can live up to 16
years and grow up to a maximum of 30 inches. In this Twin Lake, largemouth bass have been
growing to 12 inches, but not much beyond.
The legal minimum length for catching & keeping one is 18 inches. The Fisheries Division biologists believe
that “there was excessive harvest of sub-legal largemouth bass.” Another new word: sub-legal. Of course, poaching is illegal. But the fish that are a legal species to
catch but too small to keep are a sub-legal size. Too many anglers are catching & keeping
young fish.
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| majestic Christmas trees at Anderson's Twin Lakes Tree Farm |
Nearby is Anderson's
Twin Lakes Tree Farm, where people can roam 48 acres to choose & cut their
own Christmas trees. The trees include Scotch Pine, Blue Spruce,
White Spruce, White Pine, Douglas Fir, Balsam Fir and Canaan Fir. For an additional fee, customers can also have
their chosen trees hauled from the field, shaken (why?), baled, & bagged. There is selection of pre-cut trees and extra
tall trees starting at 9 feet. To
entertain visitors, the tree farm displays a lighted Santa, animated soldiers, &
Santa Express.
Teaspoon
Creek image by Gina Harman: http://www.velvetgreencreations.com/Wildlife/teaspoon.html
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