Quote Originally Posted by JordanLimit View Post
A theory I have developed over the years is that the first lake in a chain, like High Rock, captures most of the nutrients flowing down the river. Phytoplankton feed on those nutrients and become the forage for small minnows and more importantly, shad. Of course, shad is a primary food source for crappie and lots of other forage fish. As you go downstream from High Rock to Tuckertown to Badin to Tillery the nutrients are filtered out and less for the plankton. It's the source of life for bodies of water.

Interesting to hear from some of you guys that live in the area if this is actually what is happening. My home lake is Jordan and for years folks have been saying it is polluted with too much nitrogen and phosphorus. Well, guess what are the two key nutrients for plankton? What is pollution to some folks is the key source for good fishing for many of us.
I think you're correct. Crappie Connection also has a podcast with a biologist that goes on to explain something about lakes with a decent sized river flow and creek systems coming in being good lakes usually. Every one says every lake is polluted, and from a drinking water standpoint in our current babied digestive systems, true, but through the course of biomagnifcation, which concentrates toxins, you'd have to eat a stupid amount of MOST sizes and species of fresh water fish to have to worry about it.