Herrin Lake 1

Bluegill

Very Good

Channel catfish are generally not a large component of the annual Mermet Lake electrofishing sample, and 2022 followed this trend (11/hr). Annual channel catfish stockings help support a fishery which is very popular with the angling public.

Redear Sunfish

Very Good

Redear abundance was good in 2022 sampling of Herrin #1 Lake (24/hr). 85% of redear were greater than 8 inches and body condition was excellent, boding well for redear fishermen.

Crappie spp.

Poor

Crappie are generally very scarce, and both black (2/hr) and white crappie (17/hr) were collected at low rates. All crappie had substandard body condition

Channel Catfish

Good

Channel Catfish were collected at a rate of 24 per hour of electrofishing during the 2022 survey, which was up from the previous sample. These fish ranged from 19 to 24 inches in length, and their condition was excellent. The Channel Catfish population is normally maintained by stocking every other year, but an additional 1,000 non-vulnerable Channel Catfish were stocked in 2019 because of a hatchery surplus.

Largemouth Bass

Improving

Abundance of Largemouth Bass in Herrin #1 Lake, based on electrofishing catch-per-unit-effort in 2022 was similar to previous years, collected at a rate of 156 per hour. Of these, 52% were over 12 inches, well within the management plan goal, and 28% were larger than the lake’s 15 inch minimum length limit. Bass body condition dipped slightly below the management plan goal range.