Lake information report

Name: Little Floyd

Nearest Town: Detroit Lakes Primary County: Becker Survey Date: 06/12/2006 Inventory Number: 03038600

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Public Access Information

Fishing Regulations:

Lake Characteristics

Fish Sampled for the 2006 Survey Year

Length of Selected Species Sampled for the 2006 Survey Year

Fish Stocking Activity

Fish Stocked by Species for the Last Ten Years

Fish Consumption Guidelines

These fish consumption guidelines help people make choices about which fish to eat and how often. Following the guidelines enables people to reduce their exposure to contaminants while still enjoying the many benefits from fish.

Pregnant Women, Women who may become pregnant and Children under age 15

General Population

DOWID - MN DNR, Divion of Waters' lake ID number.

Contaminants listed were measured at levels high enough to warrant a recommendation to limit consumption.

Listing of consumption guidelines do not imply the fish are legal to keep, MN DNR fishing regulations should be consulted.

Dioxin
Mercury
PCBS - Polychlorinated biphenyls
PFOS - Perfluorooctane sulfanate

Status of the Fishery (as of 06/12/2006)

Little Floyd Lake has a diverse fish community that includes not only warmwater and coolwater species like bullhead, bluegill, black crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, and walleye, but also coldwater species like cisco (tullibee). Tullibees and other coldwater species require cool, well-oxygenated refuge areas during the heat of summer and reasonably good water quality. Significant declines in catch rates of these species can signal problems with water quality. Fortunately, this has not yet occurred in Little Floyd. Net catches of cisco in 2006 remained strong and somewhat higher than the lake's historic average at 4.3 per net.

A special regulation for northern pike has been in effect on both Floyd (including the north basin) and Little Floyd lakes since 2003. This regulation requires anglers to immediately release all pike between 24 and 36 inches in length. Although population changes are not always easy to detect after just three years of a regulation, there are some indicators that the regulation is having an impact on the size structure of northern pike in this lake. For example, the average length of sampled pike was longer in 2006 (20.9 inches) than in any of the eight previous studies since 1967. Another measure used to define size structure is the proportional stock density (PSD). For pike, this is simply the percent of stock (sexually mature) fish at least 21 inches in length. In Little Floyd in 2006, the northern pike PSD was higher than any previously recorded at 50%. The previous high PSD was 35% and the lake's historic mean is just 22%. Hopefully, these pike will grow to trophy sizes in the future and opportunities will exist to catch fish over 30, or even 36 inches. With the presence of cisco, this lake has the potential to produce large pike.

Walleyes are stocked regularly in this lake. Some very limited natural reproduction does take place. Walleyes are a modest part of Little Floyd's fishery, and catch rates have not been high historically. In 2006, catches were down from the previous survey to 2.2 per net. The mean walleye size was a very nice 18.7 inches in length and 2.3 pounds in weight.

Largemouth bass and panfish remained plentiful. The abundant bluegills averaged much smaller in 2006 than in 1978, when over 30% of them were larger than eight inches in length. The average length of bluegills sampled in 2006 was just 5.4 inches and very few over 8.0 inches were found. Black crappies were sampled most effectively by spring electrofishing. Generally speaking, they were not as abundant as the bluegills. The average crappie size was 9.5 inches, but a couple over 12 inches were sampled.

Fish populations in any lake are reflections of their habitat and watershed. Little Floyd Lake and its surrounding watershed are heavily developed and the lake is vulnerable to cultural eutrophication (premature aging). Unchecked development of the watershed could tip the balance toward smelly algal blooms and a fish community dominated by black bullhead. In its 1995 report, the Pelican River Watershed District (PRWD) urged that "best management practices" be followed. Increasing concern has been expressed by the PRWD, Floyd Shores, Inc., and by individual landowners over recent water chemistry changes. Individuals from both Big and Little Floyd help monitor these changes by participating in the Pollution Control Agency's Citizen Lake Monitoring Program. Other ways that landowners can help to maintain property values, water quality, and fish populations include (1) exceeding shoreline setbacks for buildings and septic systems, (2) not fertilizing lawns, (3) leaving wide shoreline buffer zones of unmowed, natural vegetation, (4) leaving as much aquatic vegetation (especially emergents like bulrushes and cattails) intact as possible when obtaining access to open water, and (5) following practices illustrated in the DNR document "Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality" when landscaping shoreline property. In addition, anglers can help sustain fish populations by voluntarily reducing their harvest of medium and large size fish and by complying with special fishing regulations. However, with traditionally high rates of northern pike recruitment in Little Floyd, anglers are encouraged to harvest small pike (those under 24 inches) to help balance the population.?

For more information on this lake, contact: Area Fisheries Supervisor 14583 Cty Hwy 19 Detroit Lakes, MN 56501-7121 Phone: (218) 846-8340 Internet: Detroit Lakes Fisheries E-Mail: DetroitLakes.Fisheries@state.mn.us	Lake maps can be obtained from: Minnesota Bookstore 660 Olive Street St. Paul, MN 55155 (651) 297-3000 or (800) 657-3757 To order, use C2417 for the map-id.
For general DNR Information, contact: DNR Information Center 500 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155-4040 TDD: (651) 296-6157 or (888) MINNDNR Internet: www.dnr.state.mn.us E-Mail: info.dnr@state.mn.us	Turn in Poachers (TIP):     Toll-free: (800) 652-9093