Springtime Lake Living Advice

It’s that time of the year again; the flowers are budding, the birds are singing, and the lake is finally defrosting! Now that the winter frost has generally made its way out of the Midwest, lake owners are able to truly enjoy all the benefits that having a lake home entails! However, living on a lake isn’t all smooth sailing at first. There are many different tips and tricks that avid lake livers have learned over time, and we’d like to share a few with you!

1. Don’t be afraid of the water getting darker as the weather gets hotter!

As nutrients are available at the surface of the water again and the sun gets stronger, algae is finally able to grow. In May, the water tends to look a darker color, which is due to the type of algae that grows during that time of the year.

2. Get ready for some great fishing!

Because of the warmer weather plants are able to grow abundantly! As plants start growing in shallow areas again, they add oxygen to the water through photosynthesis and provide cover for fish from predators. The fish then begin returning to shallow water, which is a great thing for a fisherman! It’s possible in severe warm weather, in shallow areas that a major fish kill can happen. Fish have nowhere to go for cooler water and they die and float to the shore. This mostly happens to pan fish.

3. Make sure your retaining wall is up to date and effective.

April showers bring May flowers! While the April showers are a great indicator of one of the best times of the year, they also cause the lake’s water levels to rise significantly.

To reduce the potential damage to your lake shore, make sure your retaining wall is able to prevent the penetrating heavy rains, possible high water, heavy winds and large wakes from boats.

4. Relax and enjoy your lake home!

As the weather starts to heat up, you can fish or swim in your own backyard! It’s no wonder there are 5.5 billion waterfront homes in the U.S. and over 180,000 lake homes in Minnesota.