Mauch Chunk Lake’s water, when it comes to creating an ideal habitat for fish, is fantastic, a state official reported.

On Thursday, Daryl Pierce, area fisheries manager for the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, gave the county commissioners with an update on the fish population in the lake and what the state will do moving forward to enhance an angler’s experience when fishing Mauch Chunk Lake.

The lake, located in Summit Hill and Jim Thorpe, is known to many anglers and is classified as a big bass fishery, however, Pierce said, the bass aren’t as large as they could be and hopes that changes he plans will promote growth.

Pierce said he conducted two rounds of trapping to see what the fish population looks like in the lake.

In the spring, he completed net trapping for yellow perch, black crappies, bluegills and pumpkinseed. He also completed electroshock netting for bass and larger fish.

Overall, he said the fish population is doing well and is growing.

In the lake, Pierce said that he was seeing on average 9-inch black crappies but some larger; about 8-inch bluegill; and around 8-inch pumpkinseed.

“Consistently, the lake is producing consistent size and abundance of fish, which is what I really like seeing,” Pierce said.

He also said that walleye has decreased in numbers in the lake because the state stopping stocking the species. He said if an angler catches a walleye, they should harvest it because it is aging out.

Pierce said through all his findings and the charts dating back to 1981, the state has seen stability in the fish populations.

“That’s the best I could ever see in a lake,” he said.

Pierce said the best thing the lake provides is yellow perch.

During his catch, he found on average the size is between 11- and 13-inch yellow perch.

“That’s something to be very proud of,” he said. “That lake is producing quality yellow perch.”

In regards to bass, Pierce said that while he was seeing larger bass, they weren’t over the 15-inch mark that big bass anglers expect.

Mauch Chunk Lake has ideal conditions for bass habitat so he is hopeful slight changes will allow the bass to grow larger.

“I don’t think the habitat is a limiting influence on the bass population,” he said, noting that he thinks it is a lack of smaller fish for food sources.

To help with this, the state will begin stocking golden shiners in the lake to help provide more food sources for bass. He will then reassess the size of the bass in 2025.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich asked what, if any, impact a change in zoning to allow septic systems 1,000 feet from the late would have on Mauch Chunk.

Pierce said from a biological aspect, raw sewage is bad for waterways and if it would seep into the lake, it could cost algal blooms, strip oxygen out of the lake and potentially create a habitat that could not sustain life.