Steele Lake

How big is Steele Lake?

How deep is Steele Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Steele Lake?

Are there boat launches on Steele Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Steele Lake?

Introduction
Steele Lake is a 75 acre lake located in Le Sueur County north of the town of Elysian. A county operated public access is located on the south side of the lake at the end of Steele Lake Lane. Steele Lake is a small, mostly undeveloped lake with a maximum depth of 27 feet. Based on limnological variables and lake characteristics, Steele Lake is placed in Lake Class 30. Other area lakes with this classification include George Lake (Blue Earth County), Sunfish Lake (Le Sueur County), and Roemhildts Lake (Le Sueur County). Steele Lake is managed primarily for bluegill and northern pike and secondarily for largemouth bass and black crappie. After a winterkill event in the winter of 2014, adult fish stocking took place to initialize the fish community. Fish species that were stocked in 2014 included northern pike (432 adult fish), bluegill (175 adult fish), and black crappie (50 adult fish). A post-winterkill assessment is scheduled for spring of 2015 to determine how the fish community responded from stocking and if more fish potentially need to be stocked. Steele Lake was surveyed the week of June 23, 2014 as part of a regular monitoring program conducted by Minnesota DNR. This survey was intended to assess the fish community after a winterkill event by deploying two gill nets and eight trap nets, as well as recording water quality parameters.

Fish Community
Typical of post-winterkill lakes, black bullhead and common carp dominated the survey. Black bullhead were sampled at a rate of 8.8 fish/net, which is low abundance for Lake Class 30. Lengths ranged from 4.4 to 6.7 inches and averaged only 5.9 inches, indicating that larger individuals were likely victims of winterkill. Common carp have historically been in low abundance in Steele Lake. The 2014 catch rate of 6.3 fish/net was the highest abundance in recent history. Nearly all common carp were small individuals, with 90% measuring less than 8.0 inches. The only other fish species observed in this survey in low abundance was golden shiners (N = 6). Steele Lake showed typical signs of a severe winterkill. As stated above, northern pike, black crappie, and bluegill were stocked following this survey to initiate the fish community. A post winterkill assessment will be conducted during spring of 2015 to determine if additional stocking is necessary.

Anglers can play an important role in maintaining or improving a fish population by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for consumption, while encouraging the release of medium to large fish that may contribute to natural recruitment. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish community and provides anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future. Additionally, smaller fish often taste better and have fewer contaminants than larger, older fish from the same water body.

Shoreline property owners also play an important role in the overall health of an aquatic ecosystem, including the fish population. Natural shorelines, including vegetation, woody debris, and bottom substrates, provide valuable habitat for fish and wildlife, help maintain water quality, and reduce bank erosion. By leaving natural shorelines unaltered or restoring them to natural conditions, shoreline property owners are doing their part to maintain or improve a healthy ecosystem in the lake and protect the resource for future generations.

What is the average air temp for Steele Lake?

Are there any state parks near Steele Lake?