Biologist reports logo Frances Slocum Lake

Luzerne County
May 2006

Frances Slocum Lake is the centerpiece of Frances Slocum State Park. The park is located about three miles north of Wilkes-Barre in Luzerne County. The 165 acre lake is stocked annually with trout, walleye, and purebred muskellunge. It is also in the Big Bass Program.

Area 4 biologists are conducting a gamefish survey of Frances Slocum Lake this year. The first part of the survey involved sampling panfish and other species with trap nets during the week of May 8, 2006. Trap net catch rates for walleye and most panfish species were very good, and lots of nice sized fish were present (see the table below). Additionally, alewife, the primary forage base for the lake, were abundant despite an assertion by some that a winter kill had wiped them out. Alosids such as alewife sometimes suffer metabolic stress due to winter conditions. Some alewife perish in association such conditions, but often most survive.

We targeted fish with trap nets in the warmer littoral zones (near shore zone) of the lake and therefore did not catch many trout, since they occupied deeper water. Anglers, however, were doing very well catching trout all week. Most of the successful trout fishermen were concentrating their efforts near the dam. We also didn’t catch many bass in the nets since they avoid capture by this sampling method. We will index bass density with electrofishing methods later this spring.

Walleye
Fisheries Biologist Aide Ryan McGrady with a 28 inch walleye

Crappie Crappie
Frances Slocum Lake crappies

Alewife
Alewife are the primary forage base at Frances Slocum Lake

Table of fish caught during the 2006 Frances Slocum Lake trap net survey

Species Number Caught Length Range (inches)
Black Crappie 931 2-13
White Crappie 1 15
Bluegill 537 4-8
Pumpkinseed 367 4-7
Yellow Perch 93 5-10
Walleye 15 19-28
Muskellunge 1 20
Chain Pickerel 2 13-21
White Catfish 18 13-21
Brown Bullhead 195 6-17
Yellow Bullhead 63 8-12
Rainbow Trout 10 Not Measured
Brook Trout 7 Not Measured
Common Carp 11 13-29
Largemouth Bass 1 16
Golden Shiner 140 5-10
Alewife 5,090 Not Measured
 
-- Rob Wnuk, Acting Area 4 Fisheries Manager

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