Raccoon Lake offers a wide variety of wildlife. Some of the animals you might see are: small birds, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, coyotes, foxes, deer, rabbits, muskrats, mink, beaver, waterfowl, salamanders, snakes, turkeys, and eagles.

 

Our lake is great for fishing and you can find all sorts of different types of fish here including: bluegill, striped bass, smallmouth bass, catfish, shad, walleye, largemouth bass, and crappie. The DNR stocks and maintains the fish in the lake every year. 

The IDNR stocked rainbow trout in the tailwater in 2015 (IDNR, 2016). In the past, stocking efforts have included walleye, white bass, largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie and catfish.

 

Our trees consist of willow, cottonwood, sycamore, maple, ash, and oak. 

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Vegetation in the wetlands and forests slow and filter storm water. The roots of trees, bushes and grasses hold soil and prevent erosion. This is an important natural erosion control device which prevents additional siltation of the lake from surrounding slopes, improving water quality. The forest provides habitat for migratory birds and game and non-game species.

 

Hunting, fishing, and trapping at Cecil M. Harden Lake is managed by the IDNR. Hunting and trapping are allowed within designated areas during the hunting season. Cecil M. Harden Lake maintains approximately 330 acres of forest and open fields west of Mansfield Dam for hunting. At the winter pool, approximately 1,100 acres of water is made available for waterfowl hunting. Trapping is available through a sealed bid process (IDNR, Cecil M. Harden Lake Hunting and Trapping). Aside from the recreational opportunity it provides, the IDNR uses hunting to manage the populations of animals. Hunting minimizes ecological damage done by animals like white-tailed deer when overpopulated. Trapping through the bid process is allowed in two IDNR wildlife management units and is being considered in a third for control of furbearer populations.

Reference: United States Marine Corp