Grace Lake

How big is Grace Lake?

How deep is Grace Lake?

What kind of fish can you catch in Grace Lake?

What are the closest cities to Grace Lake?

Are there boat launches on Grace Lake?

Are there places to eat and drink near Grace Lake?

A targeted survey of nearshore fish species in Grace Lake was conducted on July 11th, 2022 by Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) Program Staff. Sampling sites were evenly spaced around the lake and each was sampled by backpack electrofishing and seining with a 50-foot or 15-foot seine, where possible. Backpack electrofishing was completed at all fourteen sampling stations. Similarly, a 50-foot seine was used to sample twelve stations, a 15-foot seine was used at two stations. Nearshore sampling captured 14 species of fish including five species that are intolerant of disturbance (i.e., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass) and zero that are tolerant of disturbance.

A concurrent summer trap net survey was conducted during the week of July 11th, 2022 by IBI Program Staff. Twelve trap nets were set along the shoreline and in shallow offshore locations that encompassed multiple habitat types. Bluegill comprised a majority of the trap net catch by both number (77%) and biomass (60%). Compared to similar Lake Class 27 lakes, the numbers and of Bluegill, Pumpkinseed Sunfish, and Largemouth Bass sampled per net were near or above the 75% quartile.

The nearshore data and trap net data were combined with gill net data from an August 2020 survey to describe the fish community and provide a Fish-based IBI (FIBI) score. The FIBI uses fish community data to measure a lake's health, and the types of fish species present can help identify any stressors that may be negatively affecting the lake environment. In Minnesota lakes, certain fish species cannot survive without clean water and a healthy habitat (e.g., Banded Killifish, Blackchin Shiner, Blacknose Shiner, Iowa Darter, and Rock Bass), while other species are tolerant of degraded conditions (e.g., Green Sunfish). The FIBI score, composed of several fish community diversity and composition metrics, indicates the overall health of a lake by comparing it to what is expected for a healthy lake. For additional information on the FIBI, search for "lake index of biological integrity" on the mndnr.gov website.

The FIBI score from this survey was higher than previous surveys completed during the previous lake assessment. Data from this survey will contribute biological information about the health of the fish community to the Mississippi River-Headwaters Watershed assessment process in coordination with MN Pollution Control Agency.

What is the average air temp for Grace Lake?

Are there any state parks near Grace Lake?