Lake Survey Information

Electrofishing at night
Electrofishing at night

Gill netting
Setting a gill net

 

Throughout the current field season we will be posting preliminary results, or quick summaries of lake surveys we are conducting. Summaries from the previous year will remain until published on LakeFinder. Standard Lake Surveys are completed using both gill and trap nets. Catches of species from standard lake surveys are shown for the indicator gear. For example: northern pike, walleye, and yellow perch are best sampled with gill nets, while bluegill are best sampled with trap nets. Black and white crappie are generally best sampled with gill nets but in some lakes are better sampled with trap nets. Largemouth and smallmouth bass tend to be difficult to catch with nets, so we conduct spring night-time electrofishing to sample them. Please feel free to contact our office with any specific questions you may have. We will be glad to help you. E-mail Lake Survey Specialist.

 

Lake Survey Summary - 2015

Note: Data is preliminary and subject to change before being published on LakeFinder.

Lake (County) Date Species Number/net Average length (in) Largest (in)
Dora (Le Sueur) 6/8/15 Black Bullhead 11.4 9.3 13.9
  Black Crappie 4 5 6.7
  Northern Pike 7.4 14.9 20.6
  Walleye 0.2 14.4 14.4
  Yellow Perch 12 8.3 9.2
George (Blue Earth) 6/15/15 Black Bullhead 21.5 7.4 14
   Black Crappie 146.3 3.9 4.4
  Bluegill 34 3.7 7.6
  Northern Pike 19.5 18.5 23.7
  Yellow Perch 4.5 7.7 8.8
Albert Lea (Freeborn) 6/22/15 Black Bullhead 97.2 7.3 11.5
  Black Crappie 22.9 4.9 8.7
  Bluegill 5.3 3.9 7.7
  Northern Pike 1.7 21 26.7
  Walleye 12 12 17.1
  Yellow Perch 173 7.1 9.7
Elysian (Waseca) 6/29/15 Black Bullhead 12.5 8.8 11.1
  Black Crappie 35.7 9 12.5
  Bluegill 2.7 6.7 8.9
  Northern Pike 0.5 16.9 23.7
  Walleye 18.5 7.6 8.6
White (Freeborn) 7/6/15 Black Bullhead 70.9 6 11.1
  Yellow Perch 13 7.7 8.3
Rice (Rice) 7/13/15 Black Bullhead 81.3 6.9 14.2
  Black Crappie 14.5 5.4 9.3
  Bluegill 47.7 4.3 8.6
  Northern Pike 4 17.2 26.1
  Yellow Perch 25 6.9 10.6
Union (Rice) 7/20/15 Black Bullhead 67.2 6.5 10.7
  Bluegill 8.1 3.8 4.6
  Northern Pike 28 19.2 27
  Walleye 1.6 12.9 13.7
  Yellow Perch 43.2 7.1 9.8
Clear (Waseca) 7/27/15 Black Crappie 108.2 6.3 10.8
  Bluegill 12.9 7.1 9.1
  Northern Pike 0.4 24.4 32.7
  Walleye 10.4 16 26.8
  Yellow Bullhead 4.2 12.5 15.4
  Yellow Perch 33 7.1 10.5
Loon (Waseca) 7/27/15 Black Bullhead 122 6.2 11.3
  Bluegill 4.6 7.4 9.2
  Channel Catfish 1.7 18.5 19.3
  Northern Pike 1.3 15.8 16.6
  Walleye 1.3 16.7 17.3
Fountain (Freeborn) 8/3/15 Black Bullhead 9.9 9.6 13.4
  Black Crappie 29.5 7.5 11.8
  Bluegill 13.3 6.8 9.2
  Channel Catfish 4.3 20.1 30
  Northern Pike 7.3 20.5 33.3
  Walleye 6.2 15.7 25.5
  Yellow Perch 13.4 8.2 10.5
Cody (Rice) 8/10/15 Black Bullhead 135.5 7 11.1
  Bluegill 67.4 4.7 9.1
  Northern Pike 4.2 19.6 23.4
  Yellow Perch 61.8 8.6 11.9
Phelps (Rice) 8/17/15 Black Bullhead 132 7.8 12.5
  Bluegill 282.5 4.8 9.2
  Northern Pike 0.5 20.7 22.6
  Yellow Perch 13.7 8.3 11.7

Spring Bass Electrofishing Summary - 2015

Largemouth Bass (LMB) are best sampled during the spring by night-time electrofishing. With electrofishing, electricity is run through the water using an electrofishing boat to temporarily immobilize fish so they can be netted. Fish are then weighed, measured and released. 

 

Lake (County) and date Species

Number/hr

 

Average length

(in)

Largest

(in)

Tetonka (Le Sueur) 5/12/15 LMB 20.8 12.2 19.1
  SMB 1 15.5 15.5
George (Le Sueur) 5/20/15 LMB 0 NA NA
Fountain (Freeborn) 5/27/15 LMB 57.7 7 14.2
Clear (Waseca) 6/1/15 LMB 40.5 11.6 17.4
Loon (Waseca) 6/1/15 LMB 23.2 10.7 11.8

 

 

Updated November 16, 2015

 

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