So I was at my secret honey hole at a quarry near me. While slaying fish on a crankbait, one of the guys who works for the stone comapany started talking to me. Anyways he tells me that they're filling this lake in! Theres two lakes right next to each other. Both healthy and loaded with 1-5 pound fish. The one lake is a little bigger than the other but I mainoy fish the small side since it has a nice stain to it. Barely anyone fishes these lakes, maybe 3-5 people Ive seen. The big side is fine, but the small side they are filling in with all the dug up dirt, and broken up concrete and stone. I mean it wont be done for another couple years probably but Ive been thinking about starting to transplant fish from the small side to the big side. Anyone ever done this? What would be the best and safest method for the fish? They would be going not even 50 yards to the lake on the other side of the road. The lake in question is about an acre or so in size and the lake I want to put them in is a few acres big. Theres bass, catfish, carp(HUGE ones) bluegill and crappie in both lakes. When would be a good time to start? When would the fish start to be affected by the lake being filled in? 

 

If anyone has had any experience doing this id love to hear from you!

To transport a fish less than 50 yards is not a big deal at all. You can place the fish in a cooler with enough water to keep its gills submerged. Walk over and place them in the new lake. Now, here is the warning. Find out what the laws are of your area. I know its not a big deal walking from one lake, walking 50 yards to the other lake, however your area could have laws against that. You never know.

Every state has different regulations regarding transporting live fish, it's illegal in California and tournaments must have a warden monitoring the tournament weigh in at the boat ramp, you are not allowed to put the boat on the trailer with live fish in the livewell without a special permit.

Your best bet is talk to the local DNR or whatever they are called in PA. It is also illegal in most states to fill in a lake without getting permission and moving the fish. The lake maybe small and on private property, but this doesn't allow the owner to do whatever they want regarding a waterway.

Tom

Thanks for the suggestions guys. The lakes are owned by Eureka Stone Company. They recycle concrete and dig for whatever at a facility up the road. All the excess they are dumping into the small lake. I mean it makes amazing cover, big chunks and slabs of concrete, its great. But the lake is slowly disappearing. WRB, so you're saying even if its their property they might not be able to fill that lake in? 

The problem you may have is if you move fish you're also going to move water and the organisms in it. That's how invasive species make it into bodies of water. Then if this pond has any kind of creek or outlet that flows to another body of water you may also infect someone else's pond or other body of water. I know lots of people do it with their ponds on private property but it isn't really a great idea. Sometimes fish aren't able to adjust from one body of water and end up dying or becoming very unhealthy. 

You might talk to your local DNR officer. Some states they will come evaluate your pond and give you tips on how to go about it without potentially violating any wildlife laws. 

For 50 yds or less I'd just walk the fish over.  I wouldn't be concerned about moving them on private property in bodies of water that small.  

I hate to admit it but back in the 70's, when bass fishing was new in Maine, the bass was considered a trash fish.

Maine law books and many anglers wanted to rid Maine of bass.  So the laws encouraged a no bass limit, and

permitted just about a complete removal of bass from many waters.  Of course bass were pretty resilent, and

survived the early days.  I like a lot of anglers at that time, would go home with a load of bass alive in the live

well.  Being tired and arriving home late, many time I would release the fish in another body of water near my

home.  what happened is that a lot of waters that were barren of bass, now are good bass fishing.  Todays

laws discourage any moving of fish from one body of water to another.  Maine still favors the brook trout over

all other species of fish.  Many Mainers like myself would like to see the state stock more ponds and lakes with

fish that Maine does not have.  EX;  Walleyes, Steelhead.  It won't happen as long as there is a brook trout

swimming in that water.  We didn't have pike until about 15 years ago, and now there are many ponds with

them, all at inland fisheries displeasure. 

   In a quarry like you are discribing, sure the fish would survive, and probably flourish.  Just be discrete about

it.

In Indiana it is illegal to do that in PUBLIC waters. Totally legal in private waters. Like Jack said already, just walk them over. You should be fine.

Thanks for the suggestions guys. The lakes are owned by Eureka Stone Company. They recycle concrete and dig for whatever at a facility up the road. All the excess they are dumping into the small lake. I mean it makes amazing cover, big chunks and slabs of concrete, its great. But the lake is slowly disappearing. WRB, so you're saying even if its their property they might not be able to fill that lake in?

A friend of mine decided to build his own lake for his family to enjoy on a farmland he owned. The land had a all season creek as a water source. The MO state DNR had to approve of this lake development to get a permit to build the dam and they have stayed involved now for 5 years. The type of fish that could be stocked and all the other prey sources had to be approved and maintained. The water shed around the lake and the creek exiting the lake is also has close scrutiny. My friend owns the lake and MO DNR keeps it's hand in to help manage it, like it or not! Ounce the lake was established, draining it and removing the dam will be a difficult task and that was made clear before construction.

I have no idea what PA's DNR is like, I would think it would be at least as stringent as MO.

Tom

The problem you may have is if you move fish you're also going to move water and the organisms in it. That's how invasive species make it into bodies of water. Then if this pond has any kind of creek or outlet that flows to another body of water you may also infect someone else's pond or other body of water. I know lots of people do it with their ponds on private property but it isn't really a great idea. Sometimes fish aren't able to adjust from one body of water and end up dying or becoming very unhealthy. 

You might talk to your local DNR officer. Some states they will come evaluate your pond and give you tips on how to go about it without potentially violating any wildlife laws. 

I checked out both these lakes very meticulously and there isnt any stream or creek feeding them. Still, I think my best bet is to get a hold of DNR and talk to them about it. Im most likely going to do it, better to have my T's crossed and I's dotted.

You might slow down on bringing DNR into it as that might cause trouble for the quarry and then presto change both quarries get closed to fishing because fishermen cause expensive problems.

 

It's really true, the EPA and the state DNRs are all over anything to do with wetlands and watercourses and who knows what kind of permits that quarry is, or is not, operating under. 

 

You have a good thing going, leave it alone.  Besides, there is some unseen reason why the other lake doesn't seem to have comparable fish - different stage in its life cycle, or different forage, or . . . . who knows.  Transferring a few fish from one lake to the other likely won't deal with the underlying causes for the differences between the fishing in the two lakes.

You might slow down on bringing DNR into it as that might cause trouble for the quarry and then presto change both quarries get closed to fishing because fishermen cause expensive problems.

 

It's really true, the EPA and the state DNRs are all over anything to do with wetlands and watercourses and who knows what kind of permits that quarry is, or is not, operating under. 

 

You have a good thing going, leave it alone.  Besides, there is some unseen reason why the other lake doesn't seem to have comparable fish - different stage in its life cycle, or different forage, or . . . . who knows.  Transferring a few fish from one lake to the other likely won't deal with the underlying causes for the differences between the fishing in the two lakes.

Good advice.