Sauer Lake

How big is Sauer Lake?

How deep is Sauer Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Sauer Lake?

What are the closest cities to Sauer Lake?

Are there boat launches on Sauer Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Sauer Lake?

Sauer Lake is a 212-acre, class-31 lake with 39 foot maximum depth located in southern Becker County. Shoreline development is relatively light when compared to other area lakes. A public access with a small wayside rest has been present since 1960. This access, just off state highway 59, is a popular swimming and picnic area as well as a boat launch.

The 2015 gill net catch for Northern Pike (12.5 per set) was slightly above the lake's historical mean (11.7 per set) and also above the upper end of the normal range for similar lakes in the state. The mean length of sampled Northern pike was 21.3 inches and lengths ranged from 12.0 to 32.4 inches. Northern Pike growth rates were similar to statewide averages, but slightly slower than those reported in past Sauer Lake studies. Northern Pike averaged 21.3 inches in length at the end of their fourth growing season.

For the first time since the 1995 survey, the Walleye gill net catch rate (3.2 per set) fell below the lake's historical average (4.0 per set), but was still within the normal range for similar lakes in the state. The mean length of sampled Walleyes was 16.2 inches and lengths ranged from 8.1 to 24.5 inches. Walleye growth was similar to that reported in past studies with the average age four Walleye reaching a length of 13.1 inches. Although infrequent naturally-reproduced year classes have been reported in some lake surveys, Walleye abundance in Sauer Lake is maintained primarily by stocking fingerlings in even numbered years. This stocking plan will continue to be evaluated in future surveys, but it appears it has yielded similar results to previous stocking strategies such as heavy fingerling stocking and fry stocking.


The mean gill net catch rate for Yellow Perch increased to 22.0 per set. The lake's historical average is 29.0 Yellow Perch per gill net. In 2015, Yellow Perch averaged 5.8 inches in length.

Trap net catches of Bluegill (87.4 per set) averaged well above the normal range for similar lakes in the state, but was still near the lake's historical average of 88.5 Bluegills per set. Lengths of sampled Bluegill ranged from 3.4 to 9.1 inches with an average length of 5.8 inches. Bluegills from nine different year classes were found. Bluegill growth rates have declined in successive surveys since 2001 with four-year-old fish reaching an average length of 4.0 inches.

Trap nets sampled only a few Largemouth Bass (1.9 per net), but this rate was above the lake's historical average (1.4 per set). Spring electrofishing caught 23 Largemouth Bass that had an average length of 12.8 inches with fish up to 17.4 inches captured.

Although the 2008 survey had a record catch of 8.3 Black Crappie per trap net, the 2015 trap net catch was only 0.6 per net. Spring electrofishing, however, yielded 29 Black Crappie that had an average length of 9.9 inches and a range of lengths from 7.8 inches to 11.9 inches. Recruitment of Black Crappie was fairly consistent across the eight year classes sampled.

The ratio of Black Bullheads to Yellow Bullheads in a lake is often used as an indicator of water quality. A ratio of two black to one yellow bullhead is common in mesotrophic lakes. Typically, the larger the ratio of black to Yellow Bullheads, the more turbid the water. Trap net catches of Black Bullhead increased from zero in 1995 the new historical high of 38.3 per net in 2008. The catch in 2015 fell dramatically to 0.2 fish per set. The ratio of Black Bullheads to Yellow Bullheads was 0.05.

Channel Catfish were first reported in Sauer Lake in the early 1980's, likely due to illegal stocking. Catfish weighing over twenty pounds each were allegedly caught by anglers in 1984 and 1985. Since Channel Catfish appeared to already be established, the DNR subsequently stocked Channel Catfish yearlings in 1986, 1987, and 1989. However, due to the difficulty of finding a suitable source of Channel Catfish, they have not been stocked since 1989. Nonetheless, catfish were captured during surveys in 1990, 1995, 2001, 2008, and one was captured during this survey in 2015. The most recently caught catfish was 24.8 inches long.

With continuing shoreline and watershed development, this valuable fishery will need help on several fronts to be sustained. Anglers can help to maintain balance in fish populations by voluntarily releasing a portion of medium and large fish and keeping smaller ones for eating. This is particularly true for Northern Pike and Black Crappie. Shoreline owners and other watershed dwellers can help to maintain or improve water quality and fish habitat by maintaining shoreline buffer zones, by leaving stands of native aquatic vegetation intact, by taking precautions to prevent invasive species introductions, and by using wise land management practices.

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