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Aquatic Plant Management & Control <br />The Lake Owasso Association has coordinated an aquatic plant control program for decades. In recent years, their <br />control effort has totaled about 48 to 54 acres treated with herbicides to control rooted plants. The Lake Owasso <br />Association is one of a few lakes in the metro area that are allowed to control nuisance aquatic plants in areas <br />exceeding 15% of the lake's littoral area. <br />Fish <br />The MN DNR conducts fisheries surveys about every five years. In addition to fish population analysis, these <br />assessments have also included spring assessments aimed at evaluating the muskellunge populations. Fisheries <br />evaluations of one kind or another have occurred in 1948, 1956-1959, 1961, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1992, <br />1994 and 1996. The results of the 1996 survey are summarized below. <br />1996 Fisheries Survey -Lake Owasso <br />Species Numbers Size <br />Black bullhead - N/- <br />Black crappie N - <br />Bluegill + - <br />Carp - N <br />Green sunfish N N <br />Hybrid sunfish n/a n/a <br />Largemouth bass - N/- <br />Musellunge - N <br />Northern pike N + <br />Pumpkinseed sunfish N N <br />Walleye N N <br />White sucker N N/- <br />Yellowbullhead N - <br />Yellow perch -/+ N <br />N within normal range for lakes with similar physical and chemical characteristics <br />+ greater than normal range for lakes with similar physical and chemical characteristics <br />- less than normal range for lakes with similar physical and chemical characteristics <br />n/a no available range <br />According to the 1996 fisheries assessment: <br />^ Lake Owasso is managed mainly for muskellunge and walleye with largemouth bass and bluegill of <br />secondary interest. <br />^ Between 1974 and 1994, both angling and recreational boating pressure have tripled. <br />- 1994 angling pressure = 54 hours per acre (18,846 hours per year) <br />- 1994 boating pressure = 63 hours per acre (21,987 hours per year) <br />^ Bluegill were the most abundant fish sampled but they were small. <br />Because the angling and recreational use surveys are conducted differently from lake-to-lake, at different times <br />during the season, during different seasons and with imprecise methodology, it is difficult to draw conclusions or <br />