KINKAID LAKE - This lake was built in
1972 and first stocked with muskie in 1985. Muskie (MUE)
habitat at Kinkaid is abundant with high water clarity,
good depth, and 82 shoreline miles of necks, bays, and
points. Weed beds can be found in certain shoreline
areas. Large numbers of spotted suckers are available
and preferred as forage. Growth rates and conditions are
exceptional. During early summer of 1996, it was
discovered that a high number of MUE escape over the
spillway during periods of heavy rain. Since June 1996,
electro sampling by biologists has resulted in 230 MUE
(28-47 inches in total length) being returned to the
lake. At least 12 of these MUE had been rescued below
the spillway, tagged and returned to the lake, and
subsequently recaptured again below the spillway. One
fish has been documented as going over the spillway on
three separate occasions. During the Fall of 1998, a
spillway barrier was installed across the dam to reduce
MUE escapement during periods of high water flow. This
barrier should greatly enhance opportunities to grow
trophy MUE and keep them in the lake. There has been no
confirmed MUE escapement since the installation of the
spillway barrier.Kinkaid Lake was stocked with 2750
ten inch MUE during 2003. Sampling efforts will continue
to assess the effectiveness of the spillway barrier and
the resultant effect on the Lake’s MUE population.
Anglers have reported a tremendous numbers of MUE in the
30-40 inch range which is the future of the MUE Fishery
at Kinkaid Lake.
The largest documented MUE known from Kinkaid Lake
was collected in an IDNR net in 2002. The female
measured 50 inches and weighed 34.7 pounds (she had
already lost most of her eggs). In each of the last
three years, the size of the largest muskie that has
been collected by IDNR biologists has increased. This is
evidence that the spillway barrier may be effectively
keeping the MUE in the lake and allowing them to grow to
a larger size. A total of 214 muskie were collected
during 2003 spring trap netting.
At the end of 2002, there were at least 700 tagged
MUE in Kinkaid Lake. If you catch a tagged MUE from
Kinkaid Lake DO NOT REMOVE THE TAG. Please contact Shawn
Hirst, District 21 Fisheries Biologist at 618/687-4546
with the following information: date of catch, length of
MUE, tag number (If number is covered with algae simply
scrap the algae away with your fingernail or a knife).
Anyone providing a tag number will receive the history
of that particular fish.
CHAD
CAIN