Thank you Lori for the beautiful Fall decorations!

Lake Mohawk 2026 Fall Lake Conditions

My final 2026 visit to Lake Mohawk yesterday on the last day of September 2026 revealed a beautiful lake with beautiful Fall surroundings consisting of many trees and other vegetation starting to reveal their vibrant colors of Fall. Water conditions were the best they’ve ever been at this time of the season since my association with the lake spanning more than 17 years. Paul Mickley and his crew have done more than an excellent job at managing the lake under very difficult conditions and parameters. If you read through my earlier posts, balancing the wants and needs of a large diverse lake community like Lake Mohawk with the natural biological and ecological aspects of a 500 acre lake is extremely challenging.

September 29th Ohio EPA Satellite Report 13 detected NO cyanobacteria blooms within the lake which is remarkable for this time of the season ESPECIALLY considering that NO copper algaecide treatments have been applied to the lake this year. Copper as mentioned in earlier posts is non-biodegradable and therefore accumulates in the bottom sediments of the lake where it can reach toxic levels adversely affecting the entire ecosystem of the lake. Also, copper is expensive to purchase and apply from an economic perspective. There are several possible reasons for the natural absence of blue-green algae blooms at Lake Mohawk however two of the most likely reasons include the fact that Paul and crew managed the aquatic plant population in such a manner that it helped naturally suppress the cyanobacteria. The second most likely reason is related to weather. Lake Mohawk like other Ohio lakes are experiencing what I would consider a “gentle” lake turnover season. The cycle and timing of cool/cold nights combined with daytime temperatures and sunlight combine to turn over a lake either slowly or more rapidly. Rapid turnover resulting in large amounts of deep water (hypolimnetic)phosphorus entering the upper layers of the lake (epilimnion/photic zone) often result in short lived blue-green Fall algae blooms. If you look at the Ohio EPA Satellite Report 13, you will notice that there are a number of other Ohio lakes that actually reported cyanobacteria blooms earlier in the season but show no blue-green algae blooms at this time.

Beautiful Swans in Bays 9/10

The wetland area of bays 9/10 is always one of my favorite places to visit and observe at Lake Mohawk. Far back in the wetland area you will notice what appears to be a pair of swans. Notice that no Canadian Geese are around this area. Swans or floating swan decoys are often used for the natural control of unwanted geese populations.

Lake Mohawk 2027 and Beyond

The future of Lake Mohawk is in your hands. Lake Mohawk is a precious and diverse recreational lake that depends upon you and all members of the Lake Mohawk Property Owners Association to protect and preserve this unique aquatic ecosystem and community located in Malvern, Ohio. Lake Mohawk is first and foremost a lake that responds to various activities on and around the lake in addition to the natural year to year variations in weather patterns. Imbalances within aquatic ecosystems can occur quickly and often result in undesirable consequences that can adversely affect the health of humans, pets, and wildlife in addition to affecting recreational value and even property values. I urge all of you to become involved and knowledgeable about your lake. Joining the Lake Mohawk Lake Restoration and Protection Committee is a great place to start. Contact Dave Lange for details. Don’t count on any one person, company, etc.. to totally control what happens in and around your lake. There are plenty of resources on the Internet especially with the advent of AI that can help guide you to the proper management of Lake Mohawk from independent sources.

My Recommendations Going Forward

• The 2026 Jones Fish Survey which is described in detail in earlier posts revealed a significant imbalance in the fisheries. Far too many Crappie exist which is competing for valuable food and space resources with more desirable fish species such as largemouth bass and sunfish. Don’t become alarmed in the Spring when you see dead Crappie after ice off. It is one of nature’s ways to reducing this overpopulation of Crappie. It is NOT from Paul or a crew member applying herbicides to the lake. Follow the recommendations of restocking the lake with sunfish but don’t forget about “harvesting” the over population of the other species of fish in the report. You will just be adding “more mouths to feed” and the Crappie will simply consume and dominate the resources of the sunfish in the long run. In other words, simply stocking fish will only benefit those that sell you the fish and not rebalance the lake.
• Use aquatic herbicides and algaecides sparingly. Remember the simple rule. Aquatic plants help naturally suppress cyanobacteria through a variety of ways such as nutrient competition and sediment stabilization. Define areas where leaving aquatic plants is acceptable. Lakefront property owners that clearly show they use their lakefront areas for swimming or have jet skis docked or jet boats where intakes can become clogged by weeds should receive priority treatment if necessary. Another alternative for those lakefront property owners is to use weighted weed barrier blankets in their area for aquatic plant control. Remember, you have 500 acres of water to enjoy boating, skiing, tubing, etc.. Leaving several acres to nature and the fisheries is a win win situation at the end of the day. In general, the best zone to allow aquatic plants to grow is between 20 to 80 feet from shore. This provides ideal habitat for the fisheries while also dampening the wave affects from recreational activities beyond the 80 foot marker buoys.
• Give thanks and support to Paul Mickley and Crew for being able to manage Lake Mohawk in a sensible manner at a very reasonable cost. The L.M.P.O.A. has saved several hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past several years by not hiring outside contractors to manage the lake. Outside companies often make money by promoting their specific brand(s) of herbicides and algaecides along with aerators, and other chemicals and services.

Fall Fest Activity Schedule (Click Link)

September 18th, 19th, and 20th 2026

Lake Conditions are Amazing!

Lake conditions are in pristine condition for Fall Fest weekend. The lake has gone through the entire season without a single blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) bloom. No copper sulfate treatments have been applied to the lake or required which is only the 3rd time in my 17 year history with the lake that this has happened. Less copper treatments not only save thousands of dollars in chemical and labor cost but more importantly preserve the long term ecological health of the lake. Paul Mickley and crew have done an excellent job in balancing the delicate balance between nuisance aquatic plant control and that of naturally suppressing blue-green algae blooms through plant and nutrient competition. Aquatic plants as discussed in previous posts help naturally suppress blue-green algae blooms that have the potential of closing down the lake due to potential toxin production.

Scott Noble your lake manager routinely monitors the lake for blue green algae blooms and potential associated harmful toxins. The following is a copy of his most recent test results for the lake. The general overall water color and clarity also gives an excellent quick assessment on conditions within the lake as discussed in previous posts.

Blue-Green Algae Report (Click Link)

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)

You may be wondering what exactly does blue-green algae look like in the water column. A very insignificant amount of planktonic blue-green algae was noted off of West Beach on September 17, 2026. Below is a photo of a very small concentration of blue-green algae showing how it can clump up at certain times within the water column.

Labor Day 2026

What a beautiful Labor Day here at Lake Mohawk today! So many people enjoying this beautiful lake and all the amenities it has to offer!

Never Looked Better IMHO

Lake Mohawk has never looked better in terms of water color and clarity at this point in the season. As the figure below illustrates, we are now moving past what is normally the peak of blue-green algae season at Lake Mohawk and many other lakes throughout Ohio.

Take a moment to look at the color of the wake from the boat and skier above. (Photo taken on Sunday August 30th, 2026) The wake is white without leaving a trail of green tinted water which is indicative of an algae. bloom. What really makes this season different than most all past lake seasons is that no copper algae treatments have been applied to the lake up to this point in the year. Normally by now, nearly 1 ton (2000 pounds) of copper sulfate would have been applied to the lake in order to control the nuisance and potentially toxic blue-green algae blooms that begin at the end of July. The lake would often require two to three of these 1 ton treatments in order to control the algae past FallFest. That amounts to 4000 to 6000 pounds of copper being applied to the lake each season.

Copper sulfate is NOT biodegradable. Copper accumulates at the bottom of lakes when used for algae control. In addition to copper being toxic to blue-green algae, it is also toxic to beneficial benthic organisms, aquatic insects, zooplankton, rooted aquatic plants at high levels, etc.. In other words, it causes collateral damage to beneficial organisms that are important for a healthy fisheries AND ultimately to the overall health of the lake.

Now is a great time to review and remind ourselves the importance of aquatic plants in a lake especially when it comes to how they naturally help suppress blue-green algae blooms resulting in less use of toxic copper algae control products like copper sulfate. Please visit or revisit my page here. Lake Ecology

I urge all lakefront property owners and residents of the L.M.P.O.A. to support Paul Mickley in his aquatic plant and algae control methodology whenever and wherever possible. If you use your lakefront property for swimming or have jet skis or boats that have intakes that get clogged by aquatic plants, by all means contact Paul and have him treat your lakefront property for nuisance aquatic plants. if you don’t use your lakefront property for a specific recreational water activity, I recommend that you allow the area to be inhabited by beneficial aquatic plants that not only provide food and shelter for a healthy fisheries, but also help naturally suppress nuisance and potentially toxic blue-green algae. As in many cases with many things, balance is the key to satisfying the many needs and wants of a diverse lake community that makes up the L.M.P.O.A..

Aquatic Plants Naturally Clarify Water

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria) Report

Lake Mohawk continues to be reported as No Data on the Ohio EPA Satellite monitoring for report for cyanobacteria in Ohio Lakes. Report 10.

Cyanobacteria Monitoring at Lake Mohawk

Scott Noble monitors potential health issues associated with cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) by collecting lake water samples from various areas of the lake. Not all blue-green algae species produce toxins that can be harmful to humans, pets, and other wildlife. The latest report from EnviroScience indicates that there are no issues with cyanobacteria toxins. Regardless, lake water is not a potable water supply and caution should always be taken when potentially ingesting untreated water from lakes, streams, etc.. Pets should also be restrained from drinking lake water whenever possible.

Lake Mohawk continues to provide excellent and beautiful recreational opportunities as summer progresses and fall grows closer. Blue-green algae remains under natural control based on water color in the northern two thirds of the lake. Helping to naturally suppress the microscopic blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)is a common summer aquatic plant known as brittle naiad as described at this LINK. Brittle naiad although an exotic aquatic plant helps suppress blue-green algae by competing for nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen in addition to stabilizing lake sediments which prevents sedimentary phosphorus from being recycled back into the water column.

The following is a short recent video provided by Paul Mickley showing a lush “carpet” of naiad in the back of bay 3. Notice how clear the water is within this area.

Brittle naiad reproduces by seed and is very common in lake and reservoir environments that utilize winter drawdown of lake levels. While winter drawdown freezes the root system of many other aquatic plant species, it has no effect on the seeds produced by this aquatic plant. Brittle naiad will naturally die off (senescence) throughout the months of September and October.

Eagle Pair spotted on power tower

A pair of American Bald Eagles were spotted perched high in the power line towers at the entrance leading to Lake Mohawk. Certainly a beautiful sight to see.

Beacon Lake water color change

Beacon Lake has recently had a significant change in water color from all previous weeks this season. It is often interesting to note the color differences between Beacon Lake and the back of bay 11.

Water color is still looking excellent for this time of the season. While many lakes in Ohio continue to see increased cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms, Lake Mohawk remains largely unaffected by these blooms.

The southern portion of the lake and associated bays such as 7,8,9,10, and parts of 11 which are relatively shallow (Depth Map), are visibly different in color and clarity from the larger northern portion of the lake which is a mix of green and brown from microscopic algae and sediment suspension. Brown color is especially noticeble in bays 9/10 also known as barefoot bay. Lake sediments in the southern portion of the lake are easily mixed into the water column by boat motor and wind and wave action creating ideal conditions for blue-green algae growth. Considering the prevailing winds are often from the south/south west and the lake flows to the north, these turbid nutrient rich water conditions eventually moves to the northern basin of the lake. Nutrient recycling (internal loading) from the northern basin lake sediments (lake sediments chemically release phosphorus by the ferric to ferrous phosphate reaction under anaerobic/no oxygen conditions) also significantly contribute to August/September algal blooms. Phosphorus binding products like Eutrosorb by SeaPro can help prevent/reduce these types of algale blooms fwiw. Increasing NO Wake Zones is also very effective at reducing suspended phosphorus but not likely. Tolerance for increased NO Wake Zones would not be popular among many members of the L.M.P.O.A.. The table below illustrates how lake sediments are affected by boat motors of various horsepower.

Unfortunately, cloud and smoke cover from the Canadian forest fires prevented satellite imagery of the lake this past week which detects blue-green algae blooms. (See Most Recent Report 8 – Click Here). Regardless, on-site water color assessments provide the most accurate measure of the lake in terms of water quality conditions.

Wow! That looks fun! Surfing off of West Beach on July 30, 2026.

More on Lake Conditions and Fish Management Below

Excellent Lake Conditions!

Lake color is looking excellent for this time of the season! Lake color is one of the quickest and easiest methods of determining how the lake is doing in terms of overall water quality. Green color indicates planktonic algae growth while brown color is more indicitive of suspended soil particles. There are some exceptions such as diatoms that can impart a golden brown color to the water especially in the spring. Diatoms for what it is worth produce nearly 50% of the world’s oxygen.

Don’t be surprised to see the lake become more green in color over the next several months as cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) become more dominant in the water column. This is a natural and expected change in the succession of phytoplankton that occurs in many lakes throughout the world. The duration and intensity of these “blooms” depends on the overall nutrient levels within the lake especially phosphorus and to a lesser extent nitrogen. The Ohio EPA sends out weekly satellite images of Ohio lakes that are experiencing algal blooms. That information can be accessed through the home page of this web site.

Aquatic Plant – Bass – Bluegill Connection

More on the Jone’s Fish Management Report

One important factor that I feel is missing from the Jone’s fish population study and ensuing discussions (June 20th Post)is the iimportance of adequate aquatic plant cover within Lake Mohawk. The Jone’s study basically concluded that the bass population is suffering and malnourished due to a lack of adequate sunfish (Bluegill) in the lake which is an important food source for the bass. The recommendation was to stock additional bluegill over the next several years. This in my opinion is an oversimplified recommendation that does not resolve the root cause for the imbalance in the first place. Another important finding was the crappie are over abundant in the lake and need to be harvested at a rate of over 12,000 crappie per year. Crappie compete with bluegill within the aquatic food web in addition to preying on young bluegill fry.

In summary, bass production within a lake is optimum when 36-40% of the lake has adequate aquatic plant growth (Wiley, et al 1984a).

NOTE 1: Many things can restrict aquatic plant populations including the drawdown process of lowering Lake Mohawk each season. This process exposes 3-4 feet of lake sediment that freezes the root system of many desirable native aquatic plants. Water clarity and depth also naturally can restrict plant growth. Over utilization of aquatic herbicides can also reduce aquatic plant populations below optimal levels. Paul Mickley is extremely judicious and consciencious in his select and minimal use of aquatic herbicides at Lake Mohawk.

NOTE 2: Aquatic plants not only provide cover from predation, they also create an environment for a healthy and abundant “macroinvertebrate” food base for the sunfish (bluegill). All important for the aquatic food web within Lake Mohawk.

Note 3: Aquatic plants are extremely important in minimizing toxic blue-green algae blooms. Aquatic plants compete for phosphorus and stabilize lake sediments which helps in the recycling of phosphorus into the water column. There is also some evidence that aquatic plants secrete inhibitory substances that reduce cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). In summary, a healthy aquatic plant population helps purify lake water.

Below (Figure 2) is a graph that illustrates the relationship of Percent Plant Cover to that of the Largemouth Bass and Sunfish population within lakes (productivity). In summary, as plant cover increases from left to right in terms of percent coverage of the lake, the largemouth bass productivity increases to a maximum when plant cover is between 36-40% (180 – 203 surface acres of Lake Mohawk). The sunfish (bluegill) population continues to rise in a linear fashion as plant cover increases.

Below is the AI summary of how this delicate food web works between the bass and bluegill. If you would like further explanation, please don’t hesitate to ask. GraysAquatic@gmail.com or text at 330.412.4139.

Piscivorous Largemouth Bass Production

• Low plant cover (<20%): Bass production is low because young bass lack structural refuge from cannibalism and macroinvertebrate food webs are less productive. [1, 2]
• Intermediate plant cover (20–40%): Optimal balance where Largemouth Bass Foraging and Habitat Success peaks; predator search times are minimized and encounter rates with prey are high.
• High plant cover (>50%): Bass production and condition factors decline sharply because dense stems reduce foraging efficiency and restrict movement, shielding forage fish.

Insectivorous Sunfish Production

• Low plant cover: Sunfish (like bluegill) production is limited by high vulnerability to predation, keeping population biomass lower or stunted. [1, 2]
• Moderate to high plant cover: Production remains high or positively correlated with macrophyte density because plants provide an abundant macroinvertebrate food base and safe refuge. [1, 2]

* Extreme vegetation (>80%): Dense choking weeds can prevent bass from thinning sunfish, leading to overcrowded, slow-growing small sunfish populations

“Oil” Reported in Lake Mohawk on NextDoor

NO need to worry!

Someone on NextDoor at Lake Mohawk recently reported what looked like to them “oil” in the north dam end of the lake. This concern also happened several years ago when black dark small spots were observed floating in the water column. While it is certainly possible that oil can get into the lake from many sources, the actual substance was discovered to be a of dark species of attached algae (in the blue-green family) that had broken off from the bottom and floated up into the upper water column. Sunlight penetrates lake water to a depth of about 3x the secchi disc reading which can easily be the 21 or so averafge feet that is common in the north end of the lake. Note: does not include the original narrow submerged stream depth of up to 33-34 ft..

Post July 4th weekend and all is quiet at Lake Mohawk. Lots of room on the serene lake and the beautiful beaches for recreation and relaxation. Water color is excellent for this time of the season. No signs of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in the near future.

July 3rd, 2026

July 3rd and the lake conditions look excellent! People having fun on this Friday one day before our Nations 250th birthday. Swimming, tubing, boating, jet skiers, water skiers, etc..

June 27th, 2026

July 4th week is an exciting and important week at Lake Mohawk. Not only will it be America’s 250th birthday, it is a period when fun and recreation on the lake reaches it’s peak. Preparing a 507 acre lake along with the three beaches, roadsides, shelter areas, restrooms, etc.. is no small or simple task. Many thanks and kudos go out to Paul Mickley and his maintenance crew members for making Lake Mohawk a great place to live and recreate throughtout the season.

The lake, beaches, and surrounding common grounds all look in excellent shape. While other lakes around Ohio at this time are experiencing blue-green algae blooms, recent satellite imagery that included Lake Mohawk indicated no traces of nuisance cyanobacteria. May you all have a safe and happy holiday weekend.