By Shane Goodman | Times Vedette
The annual Lake Panorama Fin and Feather Banquet and Fundraiser was held Saturday, May 9 at The Captain’s Pick at Lake Panorama National Resort. The event included a live auction, silent auction and numerous banquet games.
Fin and Feather was formed in 1984 by a group of LPA members who wanted to improve fishing at Lake Panorama. The dam was completed in 1970, and the lake filled from the flow of the Middle Raccoon River. At that time, the naturally occurring species of fish in the Middle Raccoon were largemouth bass, crappie, catfish and carp. Members wanted to expand fishing options to include walleye, which are widely considered the best fish to eat.
The group has continued ever since and experimented with various fish stocking strategies, which has led to stocking just shy of 311,000 fish in the lake. Walleye do not naturally reproduce in Lake Panorama, which is why annual stocking is undertaken. Fin and Feather will continue to look at ways to increase the fishery, such as completing an electrofishing audit to determine the health and numbers of different species of fish.
The formation of this independent group has provided a significant boost to fishing conditions at Lake Panorama. Members should note that Fin and Feather’s efforts extend not only to Lake Panorama but also to the section of the Middle Raccoon River that is below the LPA dam. This area represents some of the best river fishing that can be found in central Iowa. In addition, Fin and Feather is the only sponsor of the Panorama Days Kid’s Fishing Derby. In 2025, 114 kids participated and received trophies, cash prizes and general raffle prizes in excess of $2,500.
Barry Monaghan and Nancy Peters
Brian Johnson and Carter Nordman
Carol and Jim Wendl
Neil Erickson and Drew Erickson
JoAnn Johnson and Lori Hammer
Josh Eike and Kristen Crouthamel
Brian Oeffner and Patti Oeffner
Ben Hayes and Troy Stoelk
Barry Tofteland
Lane Rumelhart and Galen Redshaw
Karen Eby and Bill Eby
Fin and Feather Chairperson Scott Stanley
Lake Panorama Fin and Feather committee members: Front row Galen Redshaw, Rick Schumacher, Doug Hemphill, Adam Hackfort, Galen Johnson and Gary Evans. Back row: John Rutledge, Scott Stanley, Barry Tofteland, John Muenzenberger, Ben Hayes, Jacob Bendickson and Mark Buster.