Fish Rescue on Ike's Creek

by Harold Slawik
This is the fourth year that Ike’s Creek (aka Mall of America Creek) has been part of the TCTU Streamkeepers Program. You will find its headwaters southeast of the intersection of Killibrew Drive and Old Shakopee Road, just a few hundred feet from the Mega Mall. This beautiful little stream flows in a narrow valley for less than a mile into Long Meadow Lake in the Minnesota River Valley. It flows clear and steady throughout the year and has a population of naturally-reproducing brook trout.
The creek is primarily on Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge property and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is overseeing a major habitat improvement project this summer. USF&WL biologist Vicki Sherri has been overseeing Ike’s Creek conservation efforts since brook trout were reintroduced to the creek in 2007, and the current project is a crowning effort with major funding from the Minnesota Valley Trust.
In April and May TCTU volunteers participated in two efforts to protect the creek’s trout by moving them out of the 400 to 500 foot improvement zone. Minnesota DNR trout specialist Mark Nemeth walked the creek with electro shocking equipment while volunteers netted the fish and put them in a holding tank for later movement upstream.

The shocking teams gathered about 70 fish from the improved section, with a good distribution from fingerlings on up to several fish in the 10-inch range. According to Mark Nemeth, the population appears to be stable, with regular spawning and good survival rates for at least three to four years. The fish have vibrant, red coloring thanks to the strong presence of scuds in the creek.
It’s worth a visit to the creek to see the full scope of work that goes into a major restoration project. Also, it’s truly amazing to know that trout are thriving amidst the surrounding development, with the Mega Mall, a semiconductor factory, and several hotels all within short walks. While the creek is not a DNR designated trout stream, and isn’t likely to become one in the future given its scale, it’s certainly a worthy conservation project for TCTU. You can think of it as your favorite trout stream in miniature.