Phelps Lake

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Phelps Lake is a 299 acre lake located in Rice County east of the city of Montgomery. A public access is located on the north side of the lake, across the road from the Cody Lake public access. Phelps Lake is connected to Cody Lake by a channel going under the road that separates the two water bodies. Phelps Lake is a shallow lake with a maximum depth of only 8.0 feet. Based on lake characteristics, Phelps Lake is placed in Lake Class 43. Similar area lakes with this classification include Loon Lake (Blue Earth County), Rice Lake (Rice County), and Scotch Lake (Le Sueur County). Phelps Lake is managed for Bluegill, Yellow Perch, and Northern Pike, all of which are stocked as adults as needed either directly or indirectly (stocked into connected Cody Lake). Phelps Lake and Cody Lake experienced winterkills in the winter of 2013-14, after which Northern Pike, Yellow Perch, and Bluegill were immediately stocked to rebuild the population. Phelps Lake was surveyed the week of August 17, 2015 as part of a regular monitoring program conducted by Minnesota DNR. This survey was intended to assess the fish community by deploying four gill nets and nine trap nets, as well as recording water quality parameters.

Bluegill
With a catch rate of 282.5 fish/trap net, Bluegill dominated the catch throughout the 2015 Phelps Lake survey. This was easily the highest Bluegill catch rate on record for Phelps Lake, as the second highest catch rate was 16.5 fish/trap net (2000). The 2015 catch rate was above the long-term average for Phelps Lake (45.6 fish/trap net). Despite the high catch rate, the Bluegill population was composed primarily of young, small individuals. About 85% of the aged Bluegills were either age-1 or age-2 and the average length of all Bluegills in both net types was only 4.4 inches. However, some large individuals were present, as the largest fish measured 9.2 inches. Adult pre-spawn Bluegill were stocked in Phelps Lake in 2014 to jump start the population after the winterkill during the winter of 2013-14. The large individuals observed in the 2015 survey were likely some of the adults that were stocked in 2014. The high catch of age-1 fish suggested that natural reproduction was successful. Bluegills will continue to be managed in Phelps Lake and stocked following winterkills to serve as a recreational fishery. Additionally, Bluegills are adept at predating on Common Carp eggs, so they will also aid in keeping Common Carp abundance at bay.

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Yellow Perch
Yellow Perch were sampled at a rate of 13.7 fish/gill net, which exceeded the long-term average for Phelps Lake (7.4 fish/gill net). The length of Yellow Perch sampled in gill nets ranged from 4.7 to 11.7 inches and averaged 8.3 inches, which indicated that the Yellow Perch population was primarily composed of quality-length individuals. Pre-spawn Yellow Perch adults were stocked in 2014 to help rebuild the population after the winterkill of 2013-14. The presence of age-1 individuals suggested that the stocked population successfully reproduced. Typical of a post-winterkill situation, the Yellow Perch population had fast growth rates. The mean length was 4.6 inches at age-1, 8.6 inches at age-2, and 10.6 inches at age-3. In the event of a winterkill, Yellow Perch will be immediately stocked to rebuild the population.

Northern Pike
The 2015 Northern Pike catch rate was 0.5 fish/gill net, which was less than the long-term average for Phelps Lake (4.1 fish/gill net). The average length of Northern Pike from both gear types was 21.0 inches, indicating a small size structure. Northern Pike were aged with scales and all fish from this survey were age-2. These fish likely resulted from the stocking event in connected Cody Lake in 2014, when Northern Pike fry were stocked in the spring and adults were stocked in the winter. Northern Pike fry are stocked in Cody Lake two of every three years, which also supplies Phelps Lake since fish can easily move from one lake to another through the channel near the public access. Northern Pike will also be stocked immediately following a winterkill.

Black Bullhead
Black Bullheads were sampled in gill nets at a rate of 132.0 fish/net, which was the second highest gill net catch rate on record for Phelps Lake. This catch rate xceeded the long-term average for Phelps Lake (108.1 fish/gill net). These Black Bullheads ranged in length from 4.1 to 12.5 inches and averaged 7.8 inches, indicating a small size structure. Black Bullheads seldom completely succumb to winterkill, making it difficult to manage density levels. After the severe winterkill of 2013-14, Black Bullhead was likely the only fish species that remained in Phelps and Cody Lakes.

Other Species
Only one Common Carp was sampled in this survey, which suggested that Common Carp succumbed to winterkill in 2013-14. Common Carp have the ability to decrease aquatic vegetation density, decrease water clarity, and increase occurrence of blue-green algae blooms, so efforts to reduce abundance in Phelps Lake will continue. Other fish species sampled in the 2015 survey in low abundance included green sunfish (N = 7), Black Crappie (N = 1), Yellow Bullhead (N = 1), and hybrid sunfish (N = 3).

Angling Summary
At the time of this survey, the Yellow Perch population was worth the trip to Phelps Lake to catch the abundant, quality-sized fish. Also, keep in mind the extremely abundant, but young population of Bluegill that will be quickly growing into harvestable size. Shoreline angling opportunities exist on the north side of Phelps Lake along the road. Also, a fishing pier is available for use on the south side of Cody Lake, which is connected to and only separated from Phelps Lake by a road.

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 reproduction. This practice helps maintain balance in the fish populations 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. Cattails and bulrushes are particularly beneficial for fish spawning, rearing, and feeding. 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.

-Kip Rounds, Fisheries Specialist

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