At its September 18 meeting the committee reviewed some of the topics that might be included in a history of Ten Mile Lake, such as Geology, Pre-history, Native American Culture, Early Settlers, Legends, Logging, Fishing, Water Level, Maple Sugaring, Boating, and others. Committee members accepted assignments to work on some of these topics over the winter.

However, the Committee expects the main body of the book to consist of the histories of the families who have lived on the lake, including both pioneers and early and present-day homesteaders and vacationers. This section would also include histories of clusters of families who have lived in lakeshore "neighborhoods," i.e., particular stretches of lakeshore that can be more or less well defined in terms of both geography and social interaction. Examples of "neighborhoods" might be the North Shore's Chariton Beach and Park Point and the South Shore's Fernhurst, Plainview Beach and Hillaway.

In the History Committee's files there are already a number of written family histories as well as oral histories on cassette tapes, some as recent as this past summer. However, many familes are not yet chronicled, and there are few if any "neighborhood" chronicles. Now the Committee seeks your help. If your family has not already presented a family history, please think about writing up your family's Ten Mile story and sending it to Willa Shonkwiler-Martin, Committee Chair. If you already have a written account of your family's Ten Mile history, you may want to update it. If you live in a cluster of families who have become close because of a common residence in a particular shoreline neighborhood, see if you can identify a neighbor who is willing to write about your neighborhood's development and social interaction over the years. Furthermore, if you have special knowledge about any historical facets of the lake, please share this information with a Committee member.

In writing family histories, please remember that the Committee is interested in your history as it relates to the Lake, rather than a chronicle of your family's entire life. Here are some of the questions you might want to cover in your account:

Your help will be invaluable to the Committee as it seeks to create a chronicle that will be of special interest to all Ten Milers.

Having fished this lake for the past twenty-five years, I would like to take this opportunity to report to you a few of my observations and opinions concerning the fishery and other related matters pertaining to Ten Mile Lake. . . .

Walleye Fishing was not better then (1940's), if indeed as good as it is today. Catching a walleye, especially in the lower two-thirds of the lake, brought envious neighbors to the dock to admire the catch. As today, the walleyes caught were usually good size. Walleye fishing was at its best during the 1950's. The average fisherman caught more walleyes with small and medium size fish evident in the fishermen’s creel. The 1960's, however, brought evidence of a declining walleye population. Test netting data collected by the Department of Conservation (DOC) [now DNR] during the ten year periods appear to confirm the cycle. For example the average number of walleyes caught per set [a one-time netting] was .08 in 1944, 7.1 in 1958, 3.3 in 1968, and 1.1 in 1971.

Northern Pike Fishing has been good to excellent throughout the years at Ten Mile Lake. The big difference now compared to years ago has been in the size of the northerns caught by anglers. During the 1940's and 1950's, eight-, ten-, twelve-pound and larger northerns were common. Currently most of the northerns caught range from two to three pounds. As indicated by the DOC test netting data, large northerns are few in numbers; on the other hand, small and medium size northerns are numerous. DOC test netting data show the average number of northerns caught per set in 1958 was 5.8, versus 12.1 in 1968.

Panfish and large-mouth bass fishing has been good over the years. Large crappies (1 to 2 pounds in size) were quite common in the 1940's and 1950's. Crappies during the past few years appear to be fewer in number. The angler’s catch of crappies today does not come close to matching those caught a few years ago.

Change in management policies by DOC during the 1945-1956 period had the effect of greatly improving the walleye and northern pike population in TML. Whitefish netting and dark-house spearing were banned for a five year period (1944-1948). This action subsequently resulted in increased catches of large northern pike by anglers. The change in policy from walleye fry planting to Fall-planted fingerlings in TML through the 1945-1947 period brought about much improved walleye fishing. Then for some unknown reason DOC practically abandoned the large fingerling stocking policy at TML in favor of fry and small-size fingerlings. This  has been the deterrent to maintaining a satisfactory walleye population within TML. For the past two years, and hopefully for the years ahead large size fingerlings will be stocked in TML. Without such maintenance plantings TML would ultimately revert to a northern pike and panfish lake.

There has been only a small increase in the number of TML anglers according to personal observations made throughout the years. I can recall instances during the late 1940's and early 1950's of heavy concentrations of fishing boats in Lundstrom Bay on opening day. The boat counts in the bay ran as high as twenty-five. Counts made in recent years fall far short of this number, seldom exceeding ten boats at any one time.

TMLA in recent years accepted the challenge of launching a meaningful program to improve fishing. Recent activities include:

1. The stocking this Spring of 160,000 walleye fry in our cooperative walleye rearing pond by the Walker Fisheries personnel, DNR. The yield from this pond will be harvested late in October and the fingerlings will be released at various points along TML's shoreline.
2. Another thousand rainbow trout yearlings, 8 to 9 inches in length, were stocked in TML by your Fish and Game committee last May. I can hear a voice in the background ask, How many of the two thousand rainbows planted during the past two years have been caught? Yes, to my knowledge a few have been caught in whitefish nets, by spearing, and by hook and line fishing both summer and winter. Just last month I heard of a two-pound rainbow caught by trolling off Gainey's point. Although only a few have been caught you must remember that only a small number of trout have been planted hardly sufficient numbers to make an impact on the lake. The few that have been caught indicate that a goodly number have eluded the onslaughts of the northern pike. I predict that within the next five year period some trophy rainbow trout will be caught in TML...

1. Increase the production schedule of walleye fingerlings. I suggest that our walleye stocking program, at least for the next five years, be bolstered by the addition of another rearing pond.
2. Zoning and posting sections of the lake. A problem of growing proportions at TML is the racing back and forth of high-powered boats over shallow bays at the outlet and sections of the Boy River. These spawning and feeding grounds of game fish are becoming raceways for these big boats. It is both frustrating and maddening that such despoilers are allowed to operate in these areas in such fashion. There must be an answer, both legally and socially, to this problem. Zoning and posting might be the answer.

As a closing remark I would like to emphasize: Let’s keep TMLA a strong and active organization. It is partly through the efforts of such an organization that the environs of TML can be preserved and improved.

Netting Surveys by Department of Natural Resources crews in late August indicated Ten Mile Lake's walleye population has declined from what it has been in five previous surveys from 1988 through 1997, when the numbers per net were 8+ to 10+. The "catch" this year was 6.7 walleyes per net, a figure that Harlan Fierstine, Area DNR Fisheries Supervisor, regards as good, comparing favorably with populations in lakes of Ten Mile's class. Most of the netted walleyes were in the 15" to 16" size range, weighing about 1.25 pounds each. The northern pike number per net was identical to that of walleyes: 6.7. Sizes were slightly larger than in previous surveys but Fierstine considers it still too early to reach any conclusion about whether the experimental northern pike slot limit of 20" (see below) is leading to an overall size increase for the species.

Other Species netted were yellow perch (12.5 fish per net), up a little from previous surveys; largemouth bass, 2 per net, considered high for a species that is adept at avoiding nets; crappie, 1 fish (total number for all nets), another species that is not easy to survey with gill nets, and rock bass, 14.5 per net, up only slightly from the last netting.

Ten Mile Lake had its most recent walleye stocking in 1998 when an estimated 19,260 fingerlings (about 1300 lbs.) were released. The next round will be in 2001 when another 1300 pounds is scheduled. As reported in earlier Newsletters, the DNR is conducting a 10-year experiment on Ten Mile, now in its seventh year, to determine whether the lake's walleye population can be sustained by natural reproduction or must be supplemented with a stocking program. Still another experiment involves the northern pike population. Anglers are required to release pike measuring longer than 20". It's a 10-year study whose intent is to increase the number of large northerns in the lake. The study is in its fourth year.