Recruitment and growth of these sport fish remain good. In addition, largemouth bass are now more abundant, although numbers of legal-size bass remain low. Imposition of a minimum size limit has apparently increased the number of bass but other steps may now be needed to increase the number of larger bass. The lake also supports a good diversity of other fish species, including ciscoes. The presence of sexually-ripe ciscoes on the spawning grounds off the public access site in 1997, as well as the presence of smaller ciscoes observed in the latest gill net catches in September, indicate recruitment is occurring but not at levels comparable to the late 1970s.
More information is needed on the factors that limit cisco recruitment.
Despite efforts to protect water quality at Crooked Lake, another cisco die-off occurred in late August and September 2000. Oxygen levels increased considerably within the hour once photosynthesis got underway. Amounts as high as 20ppm were recorded at 10 feet, 12ppm at 16 feet, and 5ppm at 20 feet. During brief periods of low oxygen, ciscoes were most likely forced into shallower water where they succumbed to warmer temperatures. Apparently numerous ciscoes survived, however, as indicated by the gill net catch in late September.