German Lake

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German Lake

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What aquatic invasive species are found in German Lake?

German Lake in LeSueur County is an 899 acre lake located northwest of Elysian. Average depth is 13.0 feet and maximum depth is 51.0 feet. A DNR-owned public access is located on the north side of the lake off LeSueur County Road 12. German Lake is connected to the Jefferson chain of lakes to the west, and is within the Cannon River major watershed. German Lake is managed to provide a bluegill and crappie fishery with secondary opportunities for largemouth bass, northern pike, and walleye. German Lake was surveyed the week of June 17th, 2013 as part of a regular monitoring program conducted by Minnesota DNR. This survey consisted of deploying trap- and gill-nets to monitor the fish community.

Panfish including bluegill, black crappie, and yellow perch were the most commen fish species observed during the 2013 survey. Bluegills were the most numerous fish in the assessment in both trap net and gill net catches, which revealed above average abundances for this lake class. Bluegills were sampled at a rate of 18.0 fish/gill net and 40 fish/trap net lift. Mean total length of bluegill was near 7.0 inches for both gear types, which is indicative of "quality" length in terms of size structure indices. Black crappie abundance was within the normal range for this lake type at 6.0 fish/gillnet. Trap nets were not as effective as gill nets at capturing black crappie during this survey; black crappies were caught in the trap nets at a rate of 0.9 fish/trap net. Black crappie ranged in length from 5.0 to 11.0 inches, with the mean length of 8.0 inches. Yellow perch were captured at a rate of 8.0 fish per gill net, a decrease from the 2008 assessment and slightly below average for this lake type. Yellow perch lengths ranged from 5.0 to 8.5 inches. Overall panfish abundance during 2013 was at or above normal compared to similar lakes in Minnesota, but still lower than historic levels for German Lake.

Walleye abundance was low in 2013 at 0.6 fish/gillnet, a value that is in the lower quartile range for similar lakes in Minnesota. Of the six walleye sampled, lengths ranged from 15.0 to 24.0 inches and most were above the "preferred" length (20 inches) in terms of size structure indices. Walleye averaged 2.6 pounds which was in the upper quartile range for lake class 24. A walleye maintenance stocking program has been in place at German Lake to sustain the population and minimal natural reproduction of walleye is likely occurring. Walleye fry are stocked three out of four years.


Black bullhead abundances was near record low levels for this lake in 2013 with an average catch rate was 1.9 fish/gill net and 4.9 fish/trap net. Black bullhead lengths ranged from 7.0 to 14.5 inches.

German Lake features a good northern pike population relative to area lakes. Northern Pike averaged 9.9 fish per gill net lift in 2013, which was above average for this lake type and the highest abundance ever observed in German Lake. Pike ranged from 17.0 to 33.0 inches in total length, with a mean total length of about 23.0 inches. Average weight of sampled northern pike was 2.7 lbs, which is in the normal range for this lake type.

Only five largemouth bass were captured in nets during the 2013 survey. However, largemouth bass typically are not effectively sampled by nets; thus, these numbers may not reflect true abundance. The Jefferson chain and German Lake remain popular largemouth bass destinations and location of bass angling tournaments which indicates that the lakes supports fishable bass populations. Spring electrofishing should be conducted to properly assess the largemouth bass population in the Jefferson Lake chain.

White crappie and channel catfish had been previously sampled in German lake, although none were observed in 2013. Other fish observed in the 2013 survey included common carp, white sucker, bowfin (dogfish), bigmouth buffalo, freshwater drum, yellow bullhead, white bass, longnose gar, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, and hybrid sunfish.

Eurasian watermilfoil was discovered in the lake in 2002. Boaters should be sure to remove all aquatic vegetation from boats, trailers, and equipment when leaving German Lake to prevent the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil to other lakes. Anglers can help maintain or improve the quality of fishing by practicing selective harvest. Selective harvest allows for the harvest of smaller fish for table fare, but encourages release of medium to large-sized fish. Releasing these fish can help maintain balance in the fish community in German Lake and provide anglers the opportunity to catch more and larger fish in the future.

Shoreline areas on the land and into the shallow water provide essential habitat for fish and wildlife that live in or near Minnesota's lakes. Overdeveloped shorelines cannot support the fish, wildlife, and clean water that are associated with natural, undeveloped lakes. Shoreline habitat consists of aquatic plants, woody plants, and natural lake bottom soils. Plants in the water and at the water's edge provide habitat, prevent erosion, and absorb excess nutrients. Shrubs, trees, and woody debris such as fallen trees or limbs provide good habitat both above and below the water and should be left in place. By leaving a buffer strip of natural vegetation along the shoreline, property owners can reduce erosion, help maintain water quality, and provide habitat and travel corridors for wildlife.

-Prepared by: Matt Mork, Fisheries Specialist.

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