A view of the Tri-Lakes area. Photo provided by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

News Release

TRI-LAKES — On May 13, Indiana Department of Natural Resource fisheries biologists began relocating largemouth bass on the Tri-Lakes chain.

Largemouth bass less than 14 inches in length are very abundant in the chain, Round, Cedar, and Little Cedar lakes in Whitley County. To address this, biologists are removing 1,000 bass less than 14 inches in length from the chain each year for the next five years.

The bass are being relocated to J.E. Roush Lake, which has a low density of largemouth bass. DNR biologists will monitor the bass populations in both lakes for the duration of the project to determine project success and impacts on other fish populations.

Largemouth bass will be collected from Tri-Lakes via electrofishing and will be measured for length and tagged with a jaw tag before being transported in DNR fish stocking trucks to to J.E. Roush Lake. The jaw tags are not harmful to the fish and will allow DNR biologists to track the growth of bass in J.E. Roush Lake as well as their abundance relative to the bass already in the lake.

These changes in small-bass management will allow Tri Lakes to become a more balanced fishery while improving the opportunity for bass fishing at J.E. Roush Lake. To ensure this practice is done safely, DNR has conducted fish disease testing at both Tri-Lake and J.E. Roush Lake.

There have been no concerning findings. Biologists will conduct regular surveys throughout the process, not only for largemouth bass, but also for all other species in the lake to help ensure that no negative impacts occur.

To learn more, visit the Indiana DNR’s website.