First snowstorm: December 14; 14.5 " snow
Second snowstorm: December 20; 4" snow
Third snowstorm: December 23; 5" snow
Fourth snowstorm: December 30; 1.75" snow
Total snowfall for December: 29.2 inches (plenty!)
Caused flooding on the lake so several fish houses had to be removed-taking 3 to 4 hours of shoveling, chopping and pulling through slush
Cold: By Feb. 5, we have experienced 34 days with below zero temperatures. (several days 20 below zero or lower-at least 2 days with 30 below )
News From Fisheries~~ provided by Doug Kingsley, Area Fisheries Supervisor
Portage Dam History: Built in 1937 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project constructed for lake level control
and to provide employment opportunities. Previously before dam construction, Portage was a "wild rice marsh".
1947: After nearly 10 years of lake level records and study, 7 stop logs were set in the dam and water levels were
established at a reading of 4.4' on the headwaater guage of the dam.
1958: It was found that extra stop logs had been illegally placed, raising the water level to 5.0' on the dam gauge.
The dam inspector removed the extra stop logs (10/1/58), restoring the water level to 4.4'. There were com-
plaints, but the state could not legally place stop logs about those authorized without first securing flowage
easements from all owners of lands that may be affected. those flowage easements were obtained and stop
logs were placed to restore water levels to a gauge reading of 5.0'. (12/6/58) Since then, readings have frequently
been higher than 5.0', but there have been no complaints. IN 1958 the decision was made to raise the water
level which might reduce the chance of winterkill and might reduce aquatic vegetation.
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2008 Sampling: First phase starting in 2008, continuing through 2012 includes annual monitoring of water quality,
water temperatures, lake levels, both non-game and game fish, aquatic vegetation and aquatic invertebrates on
a group of 24 stratified and non-stratified lakes in each of the eco-regions. Portage Lake was selected to represent
a non-stratified lake in the Northern Lakes and Forests eco-region of MN. The project is trying to evaluate
changes to lakes due to development, agriculture, invasive species, climate change, etc.
May 2008: Spring trap netting at ice out for northern pike
This type of sampling does a better job of sampling higher numbers and larger more mature northern pike, but has
not been done before so there is no info to compare it to. Northerns between 8.7-31.9 inches were sampled, but
few were larger than 21 inches, suggesting pretty high mortality of those fish, probably from angling.
