Lake Zorinsky?? Dead for a while or not?

I noticed there were ZERO boats out on Lake Zorinsky this past weekend. I’ve never fished it and I pass by the lake 2 times a day. I’m just curious if it is going to be “dead” for a couple of years or do you think some of the fish could have survived the drop in water level? I’m not sure how low the water got on the east side by the dam but it looked to have a fair amount of water in there even at it’s lowest point but again, I have no idea how deep the water is or was? Just curious

If I’m not mistaken, I think they killed that lake with chemical to try to cure the zebra mussel problem.

I know they dropped the level of the water waaayyyy down but I don’t think they ever used any chemicals but I could be wrong. I think there was talk of chemicals if the “freezing” them didn’t work. It sounds like the zebra mussels are gone for now though. I just hope they can keep them out of there. They don’t know where they came from the first time though so????

From Nebraskaland online magazine
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“Zorinsky will be open for fishing, but keep in mind that re-stocking following the zebra mussel elimination and rotenone renovation only started in the fall of 2011. Channel catfish, bluegill, largemouth bass, and black crappie were stocked last fall; redear sunfish were stocked in March 2012. A handful of largemouth bass and the 97 black crappies stocked into Zorinsky last fall were adult fish, but by far, most of the fish in Zorinsky are going to need at least a couple years to grow.”
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So it appears they did chemically treat it. Based upon the way it was written it appears they just decided to start over given the chance and the rotenone was for that purpose and not the mussells.

Zorinsky was drawn down as soon as possible after the zebra mussels were discovered late in the fall of 2010. Although the draw down was NOT done in order to eliminate unwanted fish, it gave us the perfect opportunity to do that. A rotenone renovation of Zorinsky was done late last summer. Restocking started immediately after the rotenone renovation; a few adult largemouth bass and black crappie as well as thousands of fingerling bass, bluegill and channel catfish were stocked last fall. Fingerling redear sunfish were stocked this spring.

There are plenty of fish in Zorinsky now and the lake had a grand re-opening last Saturday. Almost all of the fish in there are going to be small, for now, but in a couple of years that fishery will be back better than ever.

Daryl Bauer
Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
[email protected]
Bauer’s Barbs and Backlashes

Thanks for the info. I wasn’t aware that they did use chemicals to kill it off. I guess I should never doubt B. Robinson!! How hard would it be to get a lake in Omaha turned into a Trophy waters type of lake, where it’s all catch and release??

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Thanks for the info. I wasn’t aware that they did use chemicals to kill it off. I guess I should never doubt B. Robinson!! How hard would it be to get a lake in Omaha turned into a Trophy waters type of lake, where it’s all catch and release??

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We have total catch & release on the Jenny Newman Pond at Platte River State Park (open to fishing for kids and adults assisting their kids). We have 21-inch minimum length limits on many Omaha area waters which essentially are total catch & release regulations, and all catfish at Two Rivers State Recreation Area Lakes #3 and #4 and all catfish at Wildwood Reservoir must be released.

One challenge we have, especially in eastern Nebraska where the bulk of the state’s population resides, is trying to keep everyone happy. We have some catch & release fisheries, and many anglers would like it if we had more. On the other hand, we have other anglers who would like it if they could take a limit of fish home every time. It is impossible to satisfy everyone, all the time, the best we can do is try to provide a diversity of angling opportunities.

Daryl Bauer
Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
[email protected]
Bauer’s Barbs and Backlashes

I understand not being able to please everyone, trust me. I’m married with children!!
I was just curious, with Wehrspann and Zorinsky so close I figured it would be a nice option to have one of those lakes a complete catch and release on all fish.
I’m thinking that the Wanahoo will be fished pretty hard. I heard a guy complaining about a 21″ keeper limit for Bass out there? People actually eat Bass????? I remember trying one as a kid and thought it tasted like @#it. I’m not a big fish eater though at all.

Thanks for the reply

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Zorinsky was drawn down as soon as possible after the zebra mussels were discovered late in the fall of 2010. Although the draw down was NOT done in order to eliminate unwanted fish, it gave us the perfect opportunity to do that. A rotenone renovation of Zorinsky was done late last summer. Restocking started immediately after the rotenone renovation; a few adult largemouth bass and black crappie as well as thousands of fingerling bass, bluegill and channel catfish were stocked last fall. Fingerling redear sunfish were stocked this spring.

There are plenty of fish in Zorinsky now and the lake had a grand re-opening last Saturday. Almost all of the fish in there are going to be small, for now, but in a couple of years that fishery will be back better than ever.

Daryl Bauer
Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
[email protected]
Bauer’s Barbs and Backlashes

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Daryl,
Do you know if they are planning on stocking any walleye at Zorinsky? I know they were stocking some Wipers before they drained it, will they be doing that again? Thanks

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Zorinsky was drawn down as soon as possible after the zebra mussels were discovered late in the fall of 2010. Although the draw down was NOT done in order to eliminate unwanted fish, it gave us the perfect opportunity to do that. A rotenone renovation of Zorinsky was done late last summer. Restocking started immediately after the rotenone renovation; a few adult largemouth bass and black crappie as well as thousands of fingerling bass, bluegill and channel catfish were stocked last fall. Fingerling redear sunfish were stocked this spring.

There are plenty of fish in Zorinsky now and the lake had a grand re-opening last Saturday. Almost all of the fish in there are going to be small, for now, but in a couple of years that fishery will be back better than ever.

Daryl Bauer
Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
[email protected]
Bauer’s Barbs and Backlashes

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Daryl,
Do you know if they are planning on stocking any walleye at Zorinsky? I know they were stocking some Wipers before they drained it, will they be doing that again? Thanks

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Walleye fingerlings are scheduled for stocking in Zorinsky next month.

Wipers were stocked in Zorinsky after gizzard shad showed up a few years back. We did the chemical renovation while the water level was down in order to get rid of fish like common carp and gizzard shad. Panfish and even small largemouth bass have a hard time competing with gizzard shad in bodies of water the size of Zorinsky. So, I said all of that to say this, no, there are no plans to stock wipers back into Zorinsky; there are no shad there now and no plans to stock wipers. We will have largemouth bass, walleyes and muskies in Zorinsky and that should be plenty of predator fish.

Now, having said that, if some stinkin’ “bucket biologist” believes we need gizzard shad back in there, well, a fish pox on them.

Daryl Bauer
Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
Nebraska Game & Parks Commission
[email protected]
Bauer’s Barbs and Backlashes

Thanks for the reply Daryl